Raine
by imthegreenfairy88
Summary: OC Samantha Raine goes back to her old neighborhood from a call of help from her past. Her thought to help her old friend and beloved city changes everything in her life forever. CH 22 EDIT
1. Chapter 1

She stood on a roof top over looking the busy streets of New York City. The cold wind blew over her glistening face as she closed her eyes to take in all the sound and music flowing beneath her. She could feel the rumble through the sole of her boots of trucks and cars roar by the building.

They never suspect her. The women to be the one to cause harm. They always think she'll run from their big broad shoulders and guns pointing in her face. She'd just smirk as her fists, boots, elbows, or forearms meet their ugly, smug faces. They never suspect the outline of her hour glass shape from the moonlight shinning behind her before she strikes. Her smirk turns into a smile remembering the earthy smell of copper as she washes the blood from her gloves afterwards. This new blood can never be shed unless it needs to be. She couldn't go back to the way she was. Wild acts of violence, getting paid a ridiculous sum of money to do those most inhumane things you could image. Having that horrible feeling in her stomach when she saw the cops come with body bags, sure these guys had reasons to be in jail, but dead? That question always ate away at her. The government never tells you these stories, the stories she played out in real life, the stories that haunt her at night. She closed the book on those stories in her life, and was back to re-open another.

She grew up in this beautiful City with one of the most pain ridden boys you'd ever meet. They both shared a neighborhood and were inseparable almost all of their young lives. Then his life became too much for even him to handle. He was always hell bent on finding members of the Purple Dragons, and of course being his best friend she'd follow him. The members of the Purple Dragons broke him, made him different. Taking a part of his life away from him so fast without even caring. The day she saw that fire burn in his eyes for them she knew he'd never be the same again. She was strong, stronger than most girls her age and always stood by his side. Until one day, she saw a gun for the first time pointed at her and her best friend. She ran, like a coward and always hated herself for being so scared. That's why she makes it so now she's the strong one left standing, laughing in the face of danger. She was pain ridden now for different reasons. Years of a messed up past followed behind her. Scars from work she wish she had never done. Faces she sees when she closes her eyes of men she had kill for people that aren't worth the sweat from her brow. Her stomach turned from her memories.

That's why she came back to her home. That's why she was back to clean up after these so called hero's that make a fool out of themselves every time they scan these streets for crime. That's why she can find everything and anything about this city beautiful. The lights, the sounds, the fighting, and the harmless violence she loved it, every minuet of it and knew this time she was making a difference. Not just herself or the government but for a whole beautiful city filled with people of all ages, sizes and colors living in peace, at least when she's finished with it.

She had heard from an old friend how it's gotten worse. The crime, the crooked cops, the City being under ruled by law and taken over by good ol' fashion bad guys.  
She wanted to prepare herself, get a feel of the City again. She had been away for so long she almost forgot how to get around, but it's like riding a bike. Once you know, it just becomes a part of your DNA. New York was in her blood and no matter how far she went or how much blood she might have lost, that part of her went no where. She wanted to be ready. She wanted it, a good run in with a bad guy to break her in. It's been months since she exercised all her muscles in the way she was thinking of doing tonight. She thought of how she'd maneuver herself in positions these big muscular guys couldn't even dream of. Spin kicks, back flips, handstands, splits, high kicks. Remembering the pain she'd feel the next day from a fight that carried on longer than she'd hope. She could feel a tingle excitement run through from thinking of how her muscles were going to ache from being stretched. She was ready.

It was late, but still early in the night for a couple more hours of midnight blue skies. She crouched down in the darkness as her black pants stretched tight over her knee. Her black gloves gripped onto the side of the building as the flesh from the tops of her fingers touched the cold stone. She looked over the side, making her eyes adjust to the darkness that the street lights left behind, waiting to see anything in the streets below. Her senses were keen to hearing shuffles and unfamiliar noise from years of training. She'd always have a gun on her, but not tonight. Tonight they wouldn't have the satisfaction of getting off that easily. Shooting someone in the knee cap or shoulder was too easy, too pussyfoot. She wanted them to feel her knuckles cracking against their cheek bones. She wanted them to smell the leather of her boot before it came in contact with their faces. She wanted this, and they wouldn't get anything less.

Then she heard it, a scuffle of feet on the roof top next to hers. She pounced to her feet jumping over a chimney that was at least waist high. Luckily the roof top that she heard the noise was at least eight feet down, so she would be able to over look the right time to strike. There was an unusually big stature of a person, wearing an outfit of what seemed to be metal and a helmet to cover their identity and something that looked like a backpack on them. She squinted and knew that this character must be the Nightwatcher. This was one of the reasons she came back. She watched as he held up a guy with a ski mask by the jacket. The punch must have sent the creep two to four feet away from the Nightwatcher. He stood back and watched as the scumbag backed himself against a wall trying so hard to get away. The Nightwatcher must have been amused by this. She could hear deep muffled voices and echoed but couldn't understand what they were saying. She tried to lean her body as far down as she could without being noticed. The cold concrete sent a shiver down her spine as she laid down on it, making herself as flat as possible. She felt a stone that was rolling in her palm fall out of her grasp. She tried to catch it but it was too late, it bounced off the helmet of the Nightwatcher. She bit her lip and tried to shrink herself against the lip of the roof top and concrete. She put her head down shaking it in disappointment, this was a rookie mistake not a mistake made by someone as well trained as she was. She sighed with frustration lifting her head and they caught eyes. She knew she could feel his eyes on her even though she couldn't see them through his dark lens. The lights of his helmet hit her and she had no choice but to make herself known. He brought his attention back towards the man in the ski mask that scrambled to make an escape, knowing that the Nightwatcher's attention was placed somewhere else. He threw a pair of chairs out in front of him, catching the scumbag just before he jumped to the next roof. He let out a cry as he dangled over the side of the building. The Nightwatcher yanked the chains back with one swift movement and the poor soul fell hard on the concrete roof, unconscious. The Nightwatcher then looked back towards her and another chain fell to the ground by his feet. She felt herself get aggravated but tried to calm herself with a deep breath. Her chest rose and fell and she loosened her hands that she held in tight fists. She didn't want to fight him but if she had no choice, then so be it. She realized that she must have looked like a criminal herself as she stood knowing the back drop of the dark City was behind her. It was better to confront him, than to flee. She shook her head grabbing her bearings and dropped down on the roof top in front of him. He twirled a chain in one hand moving his head to meet her gaze. They stood there, just looking at one another for some moments and she kept herself prepared for his next move. She wanted to say something, but no words came to her. She was screaming in her mind to say something, anything. She didn't want to hurt someone that was trying to help.

Then he came at her, fast and hard. The chain flew by her head and she flipped back out of its reach. She sighed and put up a hand to stop him from having this go further but he whipped the chain at her again, this time it wrapped around her forearm and he pulled her towards him. She stumbled trying to catch herself, putting her foot out but just tripped further falling onto him. She looked up into his dark helmet thought she saw a glimpse of something green. She pushed herself off him with a grunt of frustration, putting her free hand on the chain that remained on her arm yanking it toward her like she was playing tug of war. He fell forward into her as she caught his bicep holding it in between her bicep and underarm, she kicked her leg up as her knee bounced off his helmet. He fell back and shook off the surprise and came at her again. She moved gracefully into a spin kick but, he was graceful too more so than she would think. He grabbed her foot while she was in mid-air and pinned her to the ground putting his foot on her chest. She slowly bent her knee, without causing movement than what the Nightwatcher would notice and lifted her leg straight up in a strong kick. She could feel the strength of her leg muscles stretch and throb as she pushed this man that had to weigh sixty or eighty more pounds than she did. She sent the Nightwatcher off her body and kicked her legs in the air pushing with her arms and shoulders to her feet, quickly taking a stance towards him.

Her eyes turned from excitement to concentration. He wasn't better than she was, but he was a worthy opponent. The Nightwatcher was slow to get up, but didn't faultier for long. She could sense his anger and couldn't help but have a flicker of a smile come to her lips. He came at her this time letting out a cry from sight of the smile on her face. She dodged his punches, moving her body back with steps and bending her back having her arms remain up, fists clenched. Her breath started to get ragged; it had been so long since she had to actually put up a fight.

"Getting tired?" He said in a smug tone. She just smiled and jumped in the air delivering a spin kick hard across his helmet that echoed through the darkness of their roof top.

"Not even close sweetheart." She said as her New York City accent came out to play.

They both stepped towards one another then stopped as they heard someone drop from a roof top onto theirs. They whipped their heads to the side quickly taking a glance over. The Nightwatcher groaned as he brought his attention back to her. She squinted at the figure walking towards them. He was slim and had a bat over his shoulder.

"I thought you told me you were going to wait up for me." The slim figure said, coming into the light now.

Her eyes lit up as she saw the hockey masked, bat holding, slim man come into plain view. The Nightwatcher let down his hands slowly as he watched her reaction. She hadn't seen him for years and this was hardly the time and place to become sentimental. Her eyes flashed back and forth between the Nightwatcher and the man holding the bat. He was the reason she was back and in the predicament with this highly trained person fighting her. He was the reason she was dressed in all back, wearing black cut off gloves over her hands and heavy combat boots on her feet. Wanting to condition herself again for long nights of fighting and trying to save a City she loves so dear. She remembered the call from him. How his voice sounded, in so much layered anger and hurt from seeing this City get torn apart. He asked for her help, which was unusual to her because he never wanted help from anyone at least not from what she remembered.

He stopped and looked at her his bat fell out of his grasp, the sound of it hitting the concrete made her wince as it roll at her feet.

"Sam?" He said slowly in a manner that he didn't believe he was saying her name or looking at her. "I can't even….What are you…How did you…" He stammered as he looked his old childhood friend up and down. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi Casey." She said letting her guard down toward the Nightwatcher.

"Raph this is Sam. The girl I was talking about. Wait…Sam does this mean?"

"Yeah Casey, you were right. Everything you said, I can't just let this City go to shit when I know there is something I can do about it."

"Wait…Sam was a girl?" Raph said putting his hand to his helmet rubbing it in question like he would his actual head.

"What was your first clue?" Sam said putting her hand on her hip.

"Why did you attack me?" Raph said gesturing with his hands moving closer to someone who not just five minuets ago almost took him down. Well, didn't take down. He didn't get taken down. She tried, but wasn't able to. But, he had to admit she was good.

"You attacked me!" She shot back. Raph tried to dispute but, she was right. He made the first move. He wasn't sure why, he knew she was a women from just the outline of her body. She had curves and just a stance that you could plainly tell was that of women's but something ran away with him when he saw her and he had to strike.

"You could of stopped me." Raph was always very stubborn when it came down to proving he was wrong.

"I tried to but you threw chains at me! I couldn't just lie down and let you beat the shit outta me, I'm not an idiot." She offered a smile.

"When did you get back?" Casey said changing the conversation.

"Yesterday." She said picking up his bat and handing it to him.

"You called her to help us?" Raph said in an aggravated tone.

"Yeah. I grew up with her, she's from my old neighborhood." Casey said in a smile towards Sam.

"Do you have a problem with a girl helping you?" Sam said raising her eyebrow towards Raph. Casey's smile faded from his lips as he looked back at Raph for his reaction.

"No." Raph said with an edge of 'tude. Sam laughed sarcastically shaking her head. "Why did you call her, we can handle this." Raph moved in closer towards vigilante friend, trying to whisper even though she could and he knew it.

"Raph, she's my best friend. I've known her all my life. She's better than both of us combined. Which I know is hard for you to admit, but it's true." Casey turned his back towards Sam knowing she could read lips. Raph let out a hiss crossing his arms over his chest.

Sam shifted her weight on another foot, throwing her arms in the air as her childhood friend turned away from her. "Unbelievable." She said to herself under her breath. She walked away from them placing her hand on the cold edge of the roof top. Wind blew over her face and she closed her eyes to its soft touch taking a deep breath in to clam herself. "You're here to help." She said to herself. She turned back towards the two men crossing her arms over her chest.

"Raph, we can trust her. I have on many occasions and I'm still here aren't I?" Casey said opening his arms in a gesture.

"Ha, yeah Casey, that's not exactly a good example." Sam said as she leaned herself against the edge of the roof top.

"Huh, maybe she's not as bad as I thought." Raph said in a laugh.

"Ya know, I get that a lot." Sam said pushing herself off of the edge walking back over to the two men. "So, is this what you two ladies do all night? Just sit here and gossip about life and paint each other's nails or do you actually fight and stop this insipid violence in this City. Because Casey, I gotta tell ya me coming back wasn't the easiest thing I had to do. I had to change my name back to my maiden name. I had to get a decent apartment. I mean that right there is a task in a half…"

"Hey, we do I lot for this City! More than you can say!" Raph said stepping closer to Sam. She didn't move, just narrowed her eyes looking into his helmet.

"I saved you ass more than you even know." She said with a smoky voice. Raph glared at her, even though she couldn't see it. He tightened his fingers into a fist at his side as his breathing became deeper. He could feel himself getting worked up but after all of Master Splinter's training he was able to take a breath and a step back from her.

"How do you figure that?"

"You didn't tell him did you Case?" Sam said, her eyes locked on those dark lens.

"Well, he never asked." Casey said shrugging his shoulders.

"Tell me what?" Raph said looking towards Casey, relaxing his body language towards Sam.

"Man Casey, see! This is why I was hesitant to come back. Do you even know what you're getting yourselves into? If anyone ever finds me we're all in a whole mess of trouble. I don't have the government hiding me places or giving me different names every week anymore. I'm on my own now." Sam said pushing Casey and turning her back towards him and Raph.

"What is she talkin' about the government?" Raph said walking over to Casey. Casey parted his lips to tell him but Sam turned towards them with a glared at Casey. He closed his mouth pressing his lips tight. She let out a soft sigh adjusting her clothing that bunched up to her stomach.

"I used to be someone that worked for the government in a field that isn't usually talked about. We have rules and regulations that withhold us from talking about our profession, which includes things we've seen, done or said." She felt like she was rattling off these words from a book of codes. They just fell out of her mouth and couldn't stop herself from extracting them from it. She rolled her eyes and took another deep breath. "Listen, Raph is it? I'm just someone that wants to help and I can be unseen by doing so. I've had training and I know my stuff."

"So are you gonna give me a straight answer here or another complete run around of who you really are?" Raph said moving his hand in a circle.

"You're one to talk! You're wearing a complete disguise to hide who you are." Sam snapped back.

"Yeah, I have a reason. Believe me, you don't wanna see what's under this."  
Sam glared at him, not in anger but just curiosity. She looked at him as though she was trying to see through his helmet, though his disguise. Raph stepped back and shot a look over at Casey. Sam stopped and put her hands on her hips.

"If we all want to trust one another, then we should be honest." She said looking back and fourth between Raph and Casey.

"Ladies first." Raph said crossing his arms. Sam looked back at Raph in a glare, this time in anger and he knew it. There was something about her that made him want to push her buttons. Test her until she was almost ready to snap, see how far he could go before she actually did. He couldn't help but smile as her body language told him she was irritated.

She ran her hand through her short choppy dark hair as the wind blew through it trying to buy time to gather all her words. She's never spoke this before, who she was who she really was. She was Samantha Raine. She was a girl that grew up in the City, 5'6" and hated her smile. This is all of who she was. But, who she really was she just took it as a job, until now.

"I was a secret agent for the government." She finally said in a long sigh. "I was trained to use guns, knifes, swords, and myself as a weapon. When you hear that phrase 'best of the best', they're talking about me. I killed the world's biggest criminals. Guys that have been on the run for years, hiding out and causing more harm to the places and people around them, I found them and killed them. I've been everywhere and seen everything. So I'm sure whatever you're hiding under that helmet isn't anything close to what I've seen." Sam said shifting her weight on another leg. Raph looked back over at Casey as he placed his bat over his shoulders, sliding his arms on each side to hold it in place.

"It is your turn man." Casey said. Raph put his hands to his helmet slowly, hesitating at first. The only people that have seen him had been April and Casey and that was by accident. He let out a long frustrated sigh and lifted the helmet off his head. His red bandana flowed behind him as the wind lifted it from his neck. Sam's eyes widened in something Raphael couldn't place. It wasn't shock, or fright. Her eyes were just wide, and slowly faded back to a normal glance. She tilted her head sideways and moved closer to him. He didn't know how to react so he stayed still.

"You're a…"

"Turtle." He interrupted.

"Yeah. That's amazing." She said with a smile. "Well, now the backpack makes sense." She said circling Raph, taking him all in.

"Wait a minuet. You're not freaked out?" Raph said turning towards Sam as she stood behind him.

"Why would I be freaked out?" She said leaning in towards him letting her hand glide down his arm. He pulled it away fast and she looked up at him and took a step back.

"Well...I'm..."

"A turtle?" She said crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow. Sam's head turned hearing police sirens in the distance. They all stood still for a minuet before they saw lights.

"Time to go!" Casey said taking off to another roof top. Raph followed and called back to Sam before he jumped to the next roof.

"You comin'?" He asked looking over his shoulder. She chuckled and ran over to him and jumped gracefully to the next roof. They ran side by side before Raph grabbed her by the arm and pulled her on to a fire escape. She stumbled but he held on to her tight. "Easy lady, tryin' to get us both killed?" She ignored his crude-ness and began to follow Casey as she noticed the flashing lights of the passing police car hit a limo down a small alleyway. She squinted as she saw a familiar symbol on the hood of the limo. Her eyes turned into a furious stare as she backed up from Raphael and jumped to the next roof. The leap was bigger than the one's she was just making, but she made it. She knocked her shin on the edge but that was all. She crouched down and examined the limo. Raph's body landed next to her as Casey made his way up from the fire escape. "Listen lady, I'm sure you're not used to all this running from the cops thing but…" She held up her hand and placed it on Raph's mouth.

"Do you know how to shut up?" She said in a husky whisper. Raph glared at her.

"What are you doing anyways?" Casey asked crouching down next to her.

"See that limo." She said pointing down towards it. "That symbol, there's something familiar about it." She said looking over her shoulder towards Casey and Raph. "I can't explain it." She stood up with a sigh. "I'm gonna go check it out." She said about to drop from the roof, but Raph grabbed her by the arm before her body fell. She stumbled back as he pulled her body into his.

"You crazy? You don't know who that is and you could get yourself killed." He said grasping her biceps in his strong hands. She just smiled a little.

"Raph, really. You don't have to worry. I've done this before. I can handle it." Her smile was soft as the moonlight hit her face. He shook his head and let her go.

"Fine. But don't come cryin' to me if you get yourself hurt." She turned her back away from him and Casey before falling soundlessly onto the cement below. She raised her body against the brick wall staying in the darkness that the street lights didn't reach. She looked up the fire escape at worried faces staring back at her. She rolled her eyes.

"This is why I don't have sidekicks." She mumbled to herself looking both ways down the alleyway before running to the back of the limo. She stretched out her legs and moved around the side. She couldn't hear anything coming from inside and frowned making an unsatisfied sigh. Then she heard the soft buzzing noise of the automatic window coming down. Smoke billowed out of the window as a hand fell next to her face. Raph's eyes got wide and he was about to drop but Casey stopped him.

"Raph, she'll be fine." Raph pulled away and walked away from the edge of the roof top.

"Fine then. I'm goin' home." Casey sighed and followed him.

She moved her head at out of the way like she was dodging a punch. She pressed her lips tight, holding her breath. She slid down the side of the car and pushed herself away from his hand before it started tapping or he reached for the door handle. Not to mention this un-Godly wind that was making her hair go every which way. Something on the hand caught her eye, a scar on the front, above his knuckles. It ran almost the whole length of the top his hand and she almost reached out and touched it to turn it over self-consciously and put her hand back to the gravel that was digging into it. There was a ring as well, on his index finger. A huge massive thing, something no guy would ever wear unless he was a pimp or extremely rich. His shirt sleeve was folded up his forearm and he moved to flick his cigar and the fabric moved up about another quarter of an inch and she saw the beginnings or a tattoo. She glared at it before her eyes went wide, realizing how she remembered the symbol. She looked up at the roof where Casey and Raph were, but weren't anymore. She frowned and then heard footsteps coming from the other side of the limo. She bent and looked underneath and saw black feet and legs scrambling. She somersaulted into the darkness, praying her movement wasn't seen. She ran into a nearby alleyway that was completely dark beside from the lights flowing in from the other streets on either side. She put her back against the bricks and tried to get her heartbeat to settle. That was close. She's come closer, but she should really do more training before she goes all Mrs. Smith again. The back of her leg hurt and she didn't know why. She went to reach down but fell back from a kick to the face by a pointed black foot. She looked up and saw a black figure walking towards her as they multiplied. She glared at where she thought their faces were and got to her feet taking a stance. The figure in front pointed their sword in Sam's face. _Damnit _. She had nothing on her and now wished she put her katanas on. _Oh but you won't need it, idiot_. Sam backed herself as the figure walked towards her. She slammed her head against the brick and clenched her teeth. She looked up hoping to see Raphael, but all she got was dark skies and smog clouds. _Ok, you've been in worse situations than this. Look at your surroundings. Nothing. Ok, not a problem_. She pushed herself off the wall and grabbed the black figures blade. She pressed it into her palm that was covered by a glove. The figure stepped away trying to get her dominances back and this made Sam smile. She turned her body pulling the sword under her arm and kicking at the figure. Their blade was left in the grasp of Sam's hand as she flipped it catching the handle in her palm. She felt warm liquid run down her wrist and knew she was bleeding. She took a stance at the five figures looking back at her and they all decided to strike at once. She blocked their hits with the sword. Then the owner came

through the crowd of black and roundhouse kicked Sam's face. The sword fell from Sam's grasp and she shook off the attack, but was welcomed again by fast fists swinging fiercely at her. Another high kick made her head slam hard against the wall behind her. She was starting to get dizzy and felt the back of her thigh throbbing. The grunts and breaths coming from her attacker weren't rough and harsh, but soft and… It was a woman. _Damnit. This is just sad._ Sam grabbed the women by the hand and brought her body into the bricks Sam's body was slammed against. Sam flipped out of the way punching the women in the across the face, then jumping into a spin kick. She'd be damned if she was defeated by a woman, especially a thin little thing like her. Her breathing was steady as the woman before her was being to tire. _Finally_. The women whipped blood from her lip and noticed her sword at her feet. She kicked it up into her hands coming at Sam again letting out a growl and crashed her sword down. Sam was able to move out of the way from one strike but the women was too fast and crashed the blade against Sam's shoulder. Sam hissed in pain, but ignored it pushing the blade away moving her body around pushing the blade away with her boot. She got to her feet and the women came at her again and kicked Sam in the chest. Sam fell as her harsh coughs made her chest burn. She was slow to get to her feet as her legs shook from the pressure of her body weight on them as they weakened.

The woman's sword crashed down making sparks against the bricks. Sam flipped out of the way, catching the edge of her blade against her thigh. Sam fell hard against the cement and held her thigh as blood seeped from between her fingers. This wasn't just a scratch._ Sharp, sharp blade_. She pressed her hand tighter against her thigh as more dark crimson started to pulse out, being absorbed by the fabric around it. The women held up her hand. As the four black figures she was with grabbed Sam in a tight hold slamming her body on the wall as they picked her up. The women picked up her sword and put it to Sam's throat lifting it up above her head, crashing it down with a strong movement. Sam's eyes clenched tight and felt her stomach drop. She was welcomed by the sound of a loud grunt and metal hitting against metal. She could have kissed him. Raph pushed the women away from Sam as the Foot released their grasp on Sam backing up behind their leader. Casey's shadow came into view as his bat hit his palm making the sound echo through the small alleyway.

"You can handle this huh?" Raph said glaring at the women before him but aiming his comment towards Sam.

"Raphael. You have no part in this. We just want the girl." Karai said lifting her sword away from Raph putting it towards Sam.

"She's with me." Raph said stepping in front of Sam. She kind of felt helpless and hated that. Casey stood next to Raph now swinging his bat over his shoulder.

"Remember. You brought yourself into this." Karai said as she smirked. Smoke filled the alleyway as Raphael looked around for Casey and Sam. He could hear Casey's coughing and leaned down to where Sam was putting his hand to her head. Her eyes weren't focusing on him, something was wrong. The dust settled and Raph scooped Sam into his arms as she went limp against his body. He looked around and took off down the alleyway.

"What's wrong with her?" Casey said running along side him.

"I don't know, but I'm sure Donnie will." Raph handed Sam to Casey as he opened a manhole and dropped inside.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam's eyes flicked opened focusing on warn down couch. She moaned in discomfort as she took a breath in through her nose and turned her body to lie on her back. She placed a hand over her eyes. The light coming from where ever was too bright for her eyes in her already throbbing head.

"Dudes, I think she's waking up."

She heard from her right. She moved her arm away from her eyes quickly sitting up. Her eyes landed on brown deep eyes framed by a blue mask before she saw black and closed her eyes immediately regretted her fast motion. She put her head back on the arm of the couch rubbing the dots out of her vision. The she felt something rub against her arm that was placed over her face and looked seeing eyes framed in purple with a warming smile. She couldn't help but smile and tried to sit up again.

"No, no. Sit back, and drink this. It's water." His voice was soft and kind and she trusted it. She took it from him, sipping it slowly. "You're fascinating." He went on. She choked back her water. He chuckled getting up and grabbed a piece of paper from a near by desk.

Her eyes searched back to the eyes framed in blue and focused on him and his body language. His hands were folded tight against his plastron. He seemed tense and unsure. He couldn't blame him, she was after all waking up on their couch after God only knows how long with wounds from a scuffle with a women ninja and brought back by their…Brother? Raphael looked similar to the turtles that examined her. She felt the back of the couch move as she looked over her shoulder to eyes masked in orange leaning against the couch with his arms folded under him. He noticed the new attention and smiled. She couldn't help but smile back.

"You're body rejected poison so quickly, it was amazing. You have an extremely high tolerance for poisons." The mask in purple explained handing her the piece of paper. She looked it over noticing her leg. Her pants were torn off her thigh and a fairly well bandage job was wrapped around most of it to above her knee. She placed her hand on her shoulder rolling it slightly to see how bad it was as she turned her head seeing a bandage covering the top of it. There was a small bandage around the palm of her hand as well from where she caught the women's sword. That couldn't have been bad, considering she was wearing leather gloves. Most likely not a necessary amount of bandaging but it was nice to know she was well taken care of. She must have been out for awhile, at least a day seeing all these bandages and not remembering or feeling a thing.

"And these." She said her voice horse from the first time using her voice in hours.

"That should be fine in a matter of days." The purple masked turtle smiled. "But, your hand." He sighed and kneeled in front of her again. "It seems as though you have nerve damage in these…" He took her hand and his face was so worried he was giving her bad news she had to laugh. She wrapped her fingers around his.

"What is your name?" She asked leaning in towards him. He looked up at her and stumbling with his words.

"Don… Donatello."

"Donatello." She smile. "I knew about the nerve damage. It happened a long time ago. It's the palm and my middle and index finger, right?"

"Yeah!" Donnie said relived that he wouldn't be the bearer of bad news.

"You're very impressive with your analysis on medical diagnosis."

"He reads a lot." The orange clad turtle spoke up leaning over to look at her hand.

"What happened?" She asked rubbing her head. "Why did I pass out?" Donatello looked over at his brother's and got to his feet. He grabbed the dart that lay on his lab desk and handed it to her.

"It seems that you were hit by this in the back of your thigh." Donatello said crossing his arms.

She rolled it in her fingers examining the serial number. She had a rush of an image, remembering the limo, the arm, the scar, the tattoo. She remembered being attacked in a dark alleyway and the feelings of Raphael's arms holding her as she slipped into comatose. She looked up at Donatello as he looked down at her concerned.

"Swanson." She said in a low growl.

"What?" The blue clad turtle spoke up.

"I've followed him for almost five years now. He's done this before, which is why my tolerance is so high. I actually had to train myself to take poisons."

"Train yourself?" Orange repeated.

"Yeah, I would have to sit and take poison. They'd test me after to see what happened and then after awhile they'd give me stronger ones, and some that were actually supposed to kill me, but by then I was just so immune to them that I would get sick for a day or two and that was all."

"Who are you?" The eyes masked in blue asked, his voice was harsh and she looked at him, the rush of the light as she turned her head quickly made her dizzy. She took a deep breath and put her head in her hands.

"Maybe now isn't the best time for…"

"No, Don it's alright." She lifted her head and took a short breath in. "Ok. I am a trained secret agent. Well, was… I guess? I don't know…Anyways… I've worked for the government since I was eight-teen. They in fewer words 'recruited' me one day when I was leaving to go visit a friend in California. I wanted to get out of this City so badly I left without saying good-bye to Casey. I think he still hates me for that." She shook her head with an embarrassed smile. "Anyways, my stuff was stolen by this guy that was sitting next to me in a terminal. I followed him through the airport and was able to get ahead of him taking an alternate route on a second level. I jumped down in front of him close lining him. Some guys in suits saw what I did and took me into a room. I thought because I was running through an airport and causing a scene. I mean, you see an eight-teen year old kid wearing ripped jeans, black converse and a Queen t-shirt running through terminals you're gonna think the worse. On top of that I must have knocked over twenty people trying to catch up to him. I was very stubborn when they were questioning me, I think I even spit in one guys face." She chuckled. "Then they asked me who I was working for, because apparently that guy was wanted in a couple different states. I told them I had no idea what the hell they were talking about and they asked me if I wanted a job. I accepted and ever since then I've been the most highly trained secret agent in the world. Any bad guy you hear about, some rich drug dealer, gun dealer, weapons dealer, I go and I take them out." 

The three turtles looked on at her in shock. Sam leaned back on the couch and took a breath from her long story and looked up at the wide eyes around her. They're mouths agape. She smiled a little unsure what to say next to break the silence and the orange clad turtle spoke up.

"Whoa…So you're like awesomer than any of us." Blue eyes exclaimed, leaping over the side of the couch becoming more intrigued by her.

"Ha, well I wouldn't say that. I'm no ninja. Speaking of which, where is my  
savor?" Sam said looking around the lair.

"He's around here somewhere." Don looking around as well.

"Yo Raph!" Michelangelo yelled up in the air.

"Gah, Mikey." Don said covering the side of his head.

"If she's still sleeping, I swear…" Raphael said walking in from the dojo. "Sam. You're up." Raph's voice changed instantly as he saw her.

"My hero." She smiled 

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't do it again." Raph said taking a seat in between her and Mikey.

"Well you know if I didn't get hit with a dart and my vision wasn't impaired I would have been able to take them."

"Oh sure. You're tellin' me you could just take down five Foot Ninja?"

"I could of if that dart didn't hit me."

"Whoa, whoa. What do you mean, the Foot did this?" Leonardo asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, your little Shredder junior's handy work." Raph said gesturing at Sam's thigh.

"I thought you said you knew the guy that did this."

"I do. They must be working for him?" Sam said looking back towards Leonardo who asked her the hostel style question.

"What else is new?" Raph said leaning back on the couch.

"So you know these Foot Ninjas?" Sam asked looking around at the four brothers.

"Yeah we know them, one of us a little too well." Raph said looking up at Leo. Leo rolled his eyes in a sigh and moved to stand next to Don.

Huh…ookk…" Sam said "Well we have to find them. I need to find him." 

"You're in no condition to do anything." Leo said his voice demanding. It made her glare at him. He knew nothing of her well being, how fast she healed.

"I hate to say it but, Leo's right. I'm not carryin' you all that way again." Raph said looking at her from the corner of his eyes.

"You should of seen it! Mikey said leaning over Raph. "It was something out of an Officer and Gentlemen. If you had a Navy hat on your head I would have had to break out the tissues." Raph puts his arm around the back of the couch nudging Mikey so he fell off.

"Psh…Idiot." Raph said in a chuckle as Sam puts her head down trying to hide her laugh.

"Can you walk?" Leo said moving closer to her ignoring his youngest brother.

"I'm not…"

"She's up?" She heard a women's voice say. She turned her head a little too quickly letting another dizzy spell take over her head falling it fall backwards once more onto the couch..

"Yeah April, she just came around." Don said walking over to April.

"April?" Sam said moving opening her eyes at the women walking towards her. "Oh my…April!" Sam said getting to her feet. Leo rushed over and helped her up as she stumbled. His arms fit around her waist as she looked up at him and straightened out. Her eyes met his and she smiled. He returned a small one, then having it fade quickly as he let her go almost pushing her off him towards April. She fell into April's grasps which turned into a hug, ignoring the rudeness she just received and concentrating on her old friend.

"Aww…" Mikey said getting to his feet from his fall off the couch.

"It's been what, three years?" Sam said pulling away from April.

"Just about. You scared us half to death." April said giving Sam a shake.

"Oh, ok April not so hard." Sam said holding her shoulder.

April let go and put her hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry." worrying she did damage.

Sam laughed in a husky tone "I'll live."

Mikey's face turned towards Leo. "Weird. Where have I heard that one before?" Leo rolled his eyes and walked to the kitchen.

"What's the matter with him?" April leaned in towards Donnie.

"He's just upset that his little girlfriend keeps provin' herself to be the bad guy." Raph said getting up from the couch and walking to his room.

"Karai and the Foot did this." Donnie said gesturing towards Sam's wounds.

"Karai?" Sam repeated. "That's her name?" They heard a door slam from upstairs and Leo slammed a cupboard in the kitchen. "Do they do that a lot?" Sam asked Don.

"You'll get used to it." He smiled.

"Hey there, Sammy-reno." Casey said as he walked into the lair holding a bag of groceries. Sam cringed at her childhood nickname.

"Hey there Casey Bracey." She smiled in her achievement to remember the name he hated the most growing up.

"Hey, I don't wear braces anymore." He said putting the bag the kitchen table. "April and I took the liberty of buying you some of your favorites to help you get better." April helped Sam walk over as Casey put his arm around her shoulder, lightly.

"Aw, you guys didn't have to do that. Besides, I'm not staying here that long I need to get back home." Sam said looking over the top of the bag.

"Where are you going to go?" Leo said leaning against the counter, arms crossed with that same stern expression on his face. She couldn't help but smile at him as his stare stayed even. He couldn't trust her, she was dangerous and skilled. His family's safety came first and the moment he lets his guard down, and she sees that she'll strike and he wouldn't be able to live with that kind of guilt. 

"I have an apartment in the City." She said looking up from exploring the bag of goodies. Leo nodded his head and went back to playing with a tea bag that lay inside an empty cup.

"You should stay here and let Don check up on you, it's not like you can go to a hosp…."

"Casey." April snapped. Leo looked up from pouring hot water in his cup and walked over to the table getting intrigue from the track of the conversation.

"He's right April. They'd have no record of me, as far as they're concerned I am legally dead. But, even if that wasn't the case the amount of poison in my body, they'd think I was a druggie looking for a fix. Not to mention the hundreds of scars on my body. A hospital is just out of the question. If it wasn't for Don over there, I don't think I'd still be alive." She said looking over her shoulder at him as he smiled at her. She limped past him patting him on the shoulder and taking a seat on the couch next to Mikey. He paused his video game and noticed her face as she sat there looking in a trance from the TV screen. It was distant, not like what he remembered from a minuet ago. He frowned and turned towards her. 

"Wanna play?" He asked handing her a control. She smirked, coming out of the memories in her head and took the controller from him.

"Sure, but I have to warn you the last time I played a video game it was a Sega and I was 14." Mikey's eyes frowned, mourning the thought of going without video games for that long.

"Whoa chick, you definitely need to stay here a few days! Just to check up on all you've missed!" He said handing her a controller and resetting the game for two players.

Not long after they heard foot steps coming down the stairs as Raphael grumbled his way into the kitchen grabbing a can of soda. He looked over at Mikey and Samantha laughing on the couch. The side of his mouth curled slightly to grin but was disturbed by the sound of pounding on the door to the lair. The brother's looked at one another, as April and Casey exchanged glances themselves. They've never had anyone knock before. Casey and April were the only ones that knew where their lair was and now Samantha but, she shouldn't for sure because she woke up here. Or, at least that's what she claimed. Leonardo still glared over his shoulder at her weighing the options in his head of who this could be. Raphael looked over at Leo before climbing the stairs to the door. Leonardo and Donatello followed close behind. Michelangelo put his game on pause, getting up slowly from the couch and walking sluggishly up the stairs stopping halfway to see what was going on.

Raphael opened the door as it slide open to Karai standing with two Foot Soldiers behind her. Raphael immediately revealed his weapons as Leonardo and Donatello followed suit. Michelangelo ran up the remainder of the stairs, pushing himself off the railing to jump the rest, spinning his nunchakus and taking a stance beside his brother's.

"We did not come to fight you." Karai said sliding her hood from her head.

"Yeah right." Raph said spinning his sais towards her.

"I came to talk to you." She said moving her eyes towards Leonardo. Leo sighed and put his swords back in his straps attached to his shell. Don and Mike let their guard down as Raph glared at her as they walked past him. Karai and her Foot Ninja walked down the stairs as the brother's followed, watching her every move. Raph kept his sais in his hands, gripping them tightly as she walked in front of him.

Karai was always tricky when it came to being around Leonardo. She walked next to him down the staircase, keeping the same pace so they'd reach the bottom at the same time. She always had a knack for making him weak even when he protested. Her Japanese beauty bewitched him, and she was well aware using her power over him persuading him to believe in her idea of truth. Leonardo never understood why and hated the fact this his mortal enemy, the daughter of whom tried to kill him and his family for years on end made his thoughts clouded.

She taunted his weakness with her slight brush of the hand, her kind fake eyes, and empty smiles. Behind which lied death threats and evil schemes. Now this girl, this Samantha was in the mix mingling herself with these turtles. After all this Karai's efforts would not take a back seat to her. Not if she had anything to say about it.

Samantha stood slowly from the couch, her hand on it firmly keeping her balance. She saw a woman in black walk down the stairs followed by two men. Leonardo looked over at Sam, her eyes dark and face drained of all blood as it reached Karai. Her breathing started to become deeper and her eyes narrowed taking all the strength she had left to leave the couch. Karai's eyes met Sam's and she stopped in her tracks.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Karai said glaring at Sam.

Sam left the couch with a swift motion, covering the matter of space between there and where Karai stood in seconds. Sam twisted her body against Leo's taking a katana from his straps and pointing it fiercely at Karai's throat. Her leg throbbed helplessly as she ignored it's will to be relieved from the stress put on it from her weight. April moved over beside Samantha as Casey remained close. April looked at Sam, but her face was intently focused on Karai's. Her arm shook as she held up Leo's katana, becoming more aware of how stained and tired she was. She clenched her teeth, forcing her arm to keep level and straight. The definition in her bicep became clearer as she gripped tighter to the handle of the sharp blade that shimmered in the light.

"What are you doing here Karai?" Leo's voice beside Sam was incredible. The fierceness behind his words made even Mikey take a step back from him as the brother's stood strong behind Sam.

"I just need to speak to you Leonardo." Her voice was soft and kind, but moving her glance over to Sam it changed drastically. "Alone." Sam didn't respond and kept her eyes locked on Karai.

"Anything you have to say to Leo, you can say to us." April said making her shoulders straight and bending her knees slightly in a stance Master Splinter taught her.

"Fine. She's lying to you. All of you. You're fools for believing her and her hoax." Karai's eyes moved over the group, landing on Sam as her eyes burned with anger. "Her name isn't Samantha Raine. It's…"

"Nix Martin?" Samantha said as a smile played at her lips her arm still straight out, aimed high. "See, that's whole 'secret' part of secret agent, having a different identity to hide your real one. Nix was a name given to me to hide my real name, which they immediately got rid of to protect my family. And, if you actually did your homework on someone before just going out and killing them you'd know that, as well as not using poison to do your job."

"The poison was not my doing."

"See, there's another thing. I know anything you'd have to say. Even if you tried to make it seem as though I was lying and get them to believe in this elaborate plan, I'm sure you were paid to come up with. You'd know that Casey Jones and I have been friends since we were born. And before you go around accusing people of being not who they say, you should make sure their best friend isn't in the room at the time your profound logic rains true." Sam's eyes were digging into the very core or Karai as she said those words. That flicker of a smile coming back to her lips as Karai's face knew she was wrong. "Casey…" Sam said, keeping her glare towards the women before her. "What's my real name?"

"Samantha Raine. Name on your birth certificate." Casey said putting his elbow on April's shoulder.

"How do we know it's just not apart of your…"

"A: I'm too good to have them remain alive after this point. If I wanted them dead, believe me, they'd be dead. B: Casey isn't exactly the brightest bulb in the box, so for him to think this far in advance would be a miracle."

"Hey…" Casey objected. April nudged his shoulder. Sam looked at him narrowing her eyes before returning them towards Karai.

"…And _C_: if you did your research like I mentioned before you'd know weather or not it anything I am saying is true." Sam voice was even now, knowing she'd won. She felt warm liquid running down her leg and rolled her eyes putting Leo's katana down. She tried to adjust the bandage to soak up blood that was pulsing through the wound as her heart beat.

"You're bold to let your guard down on towards someone you spoke to with such hostility. Considering you have such a wound."

"No really considering the women in which I just spoke to with such hostility doesn't know the full extent of my skills or my anger towards her." Sam growled.

"How is your leg?" Karai said as an evil smirk moved over her face as she noticed Sam's blood. Sam glared up at her twisting the sword as she rose.

"Fine. How's your face? I'm sure a real punch is something you're hard to come by since you hide behind your katanas." Sam's voice overflowing with anger. "How did that happen again? Oh yeah, that's right. You lost your weapon because you were too cocky to think you'd ever lose control of the situation. That was your first mistake. Never underestimate someone you know nothing about. I took your weapon from you while you sat there and let me use it against you. Then of course blinded by fury of actually having someone come in and destroy this idea of yourself you sought out to be you had your helpers attack me, not being able to finish the fight yourself. Cowardly if you ask me. Do you even know how to fight _without _a weapon? Or are you always to hide behind someone or some_thing_ else Karia?"

Karai relieved her weapon from her back and came at Sam with a fierce cry. Leo stopped her sword with his own, stepping in front of Sam.

"Fool." Karai said in glared at Leo. He returned the gesture pushing her off his blade with her own. 

"Enough!" The word echoed throughout the lair as Karai stood straight and Leo took a stance next to Sam. "This will not go on here, in our home. Karai, you should have more honor than this." Splinter said walking from the dojo. Karai lifted her hand as her and her Foot Ninja left the lair without a sound. Sam glared at the door as she rubbed her shoulder that held the sword up. It felt so heavy on her joint that she thought her whole arm would fall to the floor once she put it to her side. "Samantha." His voice was deep and demanding as it hit Sam's ears. She looked over her shoulder not making her pain known, even though it could easily be seen from the crimson pulsing through the gauze.

Splinter walked back into the dojo as Sam followed quietly. "Kneel my child." Splinter said kneeling himself. She was slow to get down but once she did, she relaxed her tension in her legs and shoulders and looked in Splinter's eyes, keeping a steady gaze ignoring the dizziness she felt. "Much pain I see behind your eyes. Not from wounds on your skin, but from within as well. For such a young face to carry so many haunting memories fills me with sorrow."

"I've had a lot of experience." Sam said solemnly.

"You've trained yourself well if you were able to come away from a fight with Karai. She and the Foot Ninja have a dark past as well. Something my boys have seen first hand and I wish them never to again." Sam shifted, not sure what he was talking about but didn't dare interrupt him. "Much honor I sense in you. Your heart is filled with love and passion for things you care dearly about. You're strong and caring, much like my Leonardo." She smiled, knowing he must have a deep place in his heart for his eldest son.

"Dude, I think they're talking about you." Mikey said as he placed his head on the door outside the dojo.

"Mikey, get away from there." Leo demanded sitting at the kitchen table. April sat at the table as well giving Leo a smile.

"So." She said placing her hand around the warm cup of tea Leo placed in front of her.

"So…" Leo returned raising an eye ridge to her.

"What's your take on Sam?" April said taking a sip of tea.

"She was able to fight Karai and not get herself killed, so I guess she's good."

"You guess?" Raph said crushing the can of soda he finished.

"Yes. I haven't seen her fight first hand and if I wanted to make a valid remark I would have to see how well she really is."

"I _have_ seen it first hand and she's good." Raph said crossing his arms.

"She unarmed you without you knowing." Don added.

"I was distracted by Karai."

"Yeah we know." Raph snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leo getting abruptly from the table making his chair tip backward.

"We all know you have a thing for your little Ninja princess. Otherwise you would of killed her by now. Or, let one of us do it."  
Don and April watched the brother's feud back and forth.

"Uh-oh." Mikey said as he ran over to the couch, jumping the back and whistling as he sat. "So how'd it go?" He said looking over his shoulder at Sam as she walked out of the dojo. Smirking, she rolled her eyes and sat next to him.

"Donatello." Splinter said from the entry way of the dojo. "Tend to Samantha. She shall stay here until she is healed. Too dangerous it is for her to be on the surface alone."

"Yes Sensei." Donnie said kneeling next to Sam. "Are you hurt?" Don said examining her re-opened wounds.

"Not anymore than I was." She smiled.

"Well, that's a start."

"Leonardo." Leo's glare left Raph's as his eyes went soft to meet his father's. "Come." Leo let out a sigh as he followed his Father into the dojo. Raph kept his glare at the back of Leo's head before doors shut it off to him. He shook his head and made his way back to his room with the echo of his slamming door ran through the lair. 

"Kneel my son." Splinter said closing his eyes as Leo kneeled before him. "I fear confusion in you."

"Yes, Master." Leo said putting his head down.

"Much you still have to learn about emotions and when to control them. You are a good leader, but only when you know the ways of the heart will you lead with true knowledge of those around you."

"I can't trust as easily as Don and Mike can. But, it seems when I do my judgment gets impaired." Leo admitted. He shook his head ashamed to have said too much. "I will try harder Master."

"You are blinded by beauty and a mistake of Honor." Splinter said lifting his son's head to meet his eyes. "She will hold no further grasp on you, my son." His eyes were firm Leo nodded his head. He knew that his father was right. Karai was wrong in her thought of what Honor was and he knew this but she gave him attention like he's never experienced before. She looked at him with eyes that told him things that she could never hold true. But he saw them see him and fell weak. "Help Samantha regain her strength and abilities. I fear that we will need her soon."

"Yes Sensei." Leo said bowing his head. He lifted himself from the floor and walked into the living room greeted by his brother Don at his lab desk.

"Hey Leo can you keep an eye on Mikey keeping an eye on Sam? He's not really all that good at it." Don said sliding his lab chair out and standing up.

"Where's April and Casey?" Leo said trying to push the responsibility to someone else.

"They left, April said something about being back tomorrow. I have to run this blood sample in my room."

"Didn't you already take a blood sample?" Leo asked in concern.

"That's what I said!" Sam yelled from the couch.

"Yeah, well I wanted to make sure the poison was fully out of her system. I looked it up and some poisons when mixed with chemicals from artificial favors or different chemicals that are put in foods can react in your blood stream like a chemical reaction. And since most of the food April and Casey bought for her to eat is all junk and artificially enhanced I just wanted to make sure. But, of course it's a far stretch and just a precaution." Leo nodded his head looking over his shoulder at Sam and moved in closer to his brother so he wasn't over heard.

"How's her leg?" He asked softly.

"Fine. It's just a flesh wound, but if she keeps opening it up it'll take longer." He moved his direction of comment towards Sam, loud enough that she could hear.

"Yes sir!" Sam said in an assertive voice, saluting Don. Mikey laughed and stopped as he saw the serious face coming from his brother's. Don ran upstairs as Leo crouched next to the arm of the couch Sam held her head up with her hand as her leg lay flat in front of her, propped up on the coffee table. He swallowed hard trying to find something to talk to her about. She seemed standoffish towards him and she couldn't blame her. He didn't exactly make the best first impression.

Mike moved from side to side next to her as he played a car cashing game. Sam's smirked as she watched the youngest brother move franticly. "Ya know Mikey just because your moving doesn't mean the car is going to." Sam said in a laugh.

"Yeah…But…It's more fun…This way…" Mike said still flinging his body from left to right. Leo watched shaking his head.

"I remind him of the same thing and he just doesn't grasp that concept." he smirked. Sam moved her head so her chin lay in her palm to look over at Leo. "I would ask you if you wanted something to eat or drink but I was just informed that we have to wait on that one."

"Ha, yeah well Doctors orders." She shrugged returning her view to the video game.

"How did you take Karai's sword from her?" Leo asked grasping on to the arm of the couch. He needed to know how. He tried on several occasions and was never able to disarm her. Sam lifted her hand that held her head not turning her face in his direction.

"That's the explanation behind this cut." Sam said evenly.

"You grabbed the blade with your hand?"

"More like guided." Sam corrected.

"Didn't it hurt you?"

"No, nerve damage remember? Also, I was wearing leather gloves." She said wiggling her fingers and placing her cheek against it again.

"Oh, yeah." Leo put his head down thinking of how to carry on the conversation. "So…"

"What's your deal with Karai?" Sam interrupted turning her full focus on him now. Mikey stopped his body from moving to the left and moved it closer to Sam and his brother's conversation.

"She…" Leo took a deep breath. "I have bad judgment in character, lets just say." His smile was weak and fake and Sam knew it. She raised an eyebrow and looked back to the game.

With a sigh of relief from the sight of his brother coming down the stairs Leo stood up.  
"Well, it'll take just a few minuets for the results to come in." Don said sitting down in a near by chair.

"Really guys, I don't have to stay here. I am safe at home. Believe me I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for years of this. And besides Karai doesn't know where I live and even if she does…"

"Splinter said for you to stay here." Leo commanded crossing his arms.

"At least until your better." Donnie added softly leaning in closer from his chair. She sighed and put her hand over her head. "You're not used to people helping you, are you?" Don said in a concerned look.

"Not in the slightest."

"Well, we're good at it." Mikey said pulling up his controller as his video game car flew over a bridge. She turned her head towards him and giggled. "You can sleep in my bed." Mikey said winking at her. She rolled her eyes and placed her cheek back against her hand.

"Yeah… Thanks Mikey."

"Anytime babe." He said taking a swig from his soda. 


	3. Chapter 3

Sam couldn't sleep. She stared up at the ceiling of Mikey's room. The cracks played with her head as she focused on them, thinking they were moving. She closed her eyes giving herself a head ache and turned on her side. _Bad shoulder_. She turned again on her other opening her eyes. _This is ridiculous_. She sat up and pushed herself slowly from the bed, sitting on the edge trying to brace herself for the pressure on her thigh. She hopped to the door, opening it slowly and peering down the hall. She could hear Mikey's snoring from downstairs and tiptoed, hobbled down the hall. She heard someone coming up the stairs and braced herself against the railing. _Sleep walking? No, too dramatic. Bathroom, need to go to the bathroom._ She saw him as his red bandana laid across his shoulder as he rubbed the back of his head. She smiled relieved it was him.

"Rough night, Nightwatcher?" She asked leaning her hip against the railing, giving her leg a break.

"Hey, don't say that here." He whispered in a rough tone walking over to her. "What are you doin' up anyways, you should be in bed. Go get some rest." He walked past her and opened his bedroom door. She limped over to it placing her hand in the doorway. He sighed leaning on the door frame. "What?" He said irritated, she just smiled.

"I haven't had the tour yet." She leaned her hip against his door way crossing her arms over her chest.

"Downstairs, up stairs, Leo's room, my room Don's room, Mikey's room. Good-night." He went to close his door again and she put her hand on it pushing it back open. "You're such the gentlemen."

"I try. Good-night."

"You always like this?"

"Like what?"

"Passive and distant."  
He sighed and rubbed his head.

"I've just had a long night, alright."

"You ok? Need any bandages. I've got plenty." She offered a smile.

"Ha, yeah Don gets pretty carried away sometime." 

"It's nice, makes me feel like I'm well taken care of."

"You are." Raph said averting her eyes.

"Good, it's good to know." She said patting his arm. He looked up but not at her. "Well, you're in need of rest and probably a hot bath." She chuckled. "Night, Nightwatcher." She said in a whisper leaning in towards him before swaying herself off his door frame and placing her hand on the wall for support as she walked down the hall. He shook his head closing the door behind him.

She walked back into Mikey's room, lying on the bed. She suddenly realized from everything she did today her body was physically drained. The feeling of safety overwhelmed her mind as slow thoughts of why she wasn't able to sleep before disappeared. There was no need for her to regret the past. She needed to move on from it, accepting it instead of fearing it. She needed to let go and break this hold of this person she was, and become the person she always wanted to be.

Sure, at eight-teen being undercover all the time and learning tactics to kill bad guys, some men twice her size is in all less sense of the word, glamorous. But, after years and years of it, it's warn her down emotionally. She can still use everything she'd learn to her advantage but, to go out and keep doing what she was doing as Nix was out of the question. She missed being someone not something, used as a weapon of choice for government officials. She wanted to be Samantha again. Not Nix a master of disguise and weaponry.

She felt her head spinning and focused on the fact that she was indeed tired and needed her rest. She felt her muscles loosen as her eye lids became heavy. Slowly the night and sleep consumed her. Able to make the faces and memories seep from her thoughts as new faces and new memories drifted in.


	4. Chapter 4

Sam woke up to the sweet aroma of food being made downstairs. Her stomach growled as she was reminded of how hungry she was. Donnie was insistent on waiting for her to eat and now she was starving. She got up from Mikey's bed slowly placing her leg fully on the floor only limping slightly gripping the railing as she walked down the stairs into the kitchen.

"Morning." Donnie said with a smile, flipping a pancake in a pan. "Hungry?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." She said leaning over him practically salivating over the sweet smell coming from the pan. She leaned against the counter next to him and snagged a small pancake on a plate.

"Hey, you could wait."

"Nope, you made me wait too long, now…I take your pancake." She smiled as she ripped a piece placing it in her mouth. "Ah, my god Donnie." She said putting her head back. "This is amazing."

"Thanks." He nodded his head in great achievement. Even though she hasn't eaten in quiet sometime he likes to think himself to be a good quality cook. "Did you want some tea?" He asked grabbing to open the cabinet.

"No, no. I'll get it. You finish." She smiled hobbling to find a cup placing her hand on the counter for support. She was able to regain some strength in her leg walking normally along the counter looking for tea bags and a cup to put it in. She leaned her body on the counter as she filled the tea kettle with water, bending her knee giving her thigh a break from her weight.

Mikey woke up from the couch and stretched as he looked over noticing Sam in the kitchen. He titled his head admiring the pose she was in as she reached for the sugar. She was still in her ripped black pants and white tank top that had been under a black sweatshirt. The sweatshirt was too hot to sleep in so it remained upstairs. Donnie looked over at his little brother in a glare. Mikey shrugged his shoulders getting up from the couch. Don shook his head at his little brother's moment of his hormones getting away with him and put the plate of pancakes on the table.

Samantha walked around the lair, waiting for her tea to heat up and trying to give her leg a work out. She walked over to the training room pushing the door open to walk inside, but stopped short noticing Leonardo going through his morning ritual. He swung around gracefully, his blades following making a complete circle of silver around him stopping in a stance. His breathing was hard and he put his arms down in a sigh and looked over his shoulder at Sam.

"Morning." She said in a smile leaning against the doorway.

"Morning." He said in a nod. His body was glistening with sweat as he walked over to where she stood. He almost completely walked past her with just a smile but she stopped him before he could.

"I had a dream about you last night." She said softly, making him turn his head and move in closer to her.

"What?"

"I had a dream about you. And me, last night." She smiled. He raised an eye ridge to her and she turned to face him completely, making her body slide against the wall. Her eyes were even with his as he looked at her. He looked down her body a little slower than he liked and focused on her thigh.

"How's your leg feeling?"

"Better." She moved closer to him, lifting her back from the wall. "Aren't you going to ask what happened?"

"When?"

"In my dream."

"It was just a dream." He said evenly. She heard the tea kettle whistle and slowly fade. Donnie must have taken it from the heat. She brushed up against him as she walked away, trying to walk normally without having to limp hoping his eyes would be watching her walk away. She didn't know why but there was just something about him, maybe what Master Splinter said about how they're alike? She hoped that soon he'd warm up to her like his brother's had.

"Teas done." Mikey said opening the fridge for a pizza box. She smiled and rubbed his head as she walked past him.

"Thanks Mikey."

Don poured her water in her cup as she walked over to him. "You're walking better." He smiled.

"Yeah. I heal fast." She said.

"Probably all that poison you practice with. Made you like a super human." Mikey said take a sip of his soda to clear mouth of pizza as he spoke.

"Ha, yeah. Something like that." She laughed sipping her tea. She sat down at the table and put two pancakes on her plate drenching them with syrup.

"I like a girl that can eat." Mikey said with a smile.

"Yeah, well I don't eat quiet as well as you do. What is that the breakfast of champions?" She smiled cutting a piece of pancake with her fork and putting it in her mouth.

"Totally. All those athletes that eat Wheaties are doing it all wrong, this is so the way to go." Sam laughed shaking her head. "Leo still in the training room?" he said looking over his shoulder at the entry way.

"Yeah, he's a morning person huh?"

"He gets up pretty early to condition himself." Don said sitting at the table.

"I had a dream about him last night but he didn't seem too interested in hearing about it." She said putting another piece of pancake in her mouth. Mikey choked on a bite of pizza and swallowed.

"You had a dream about Leo?" He asked coughing.

"Yeah." She took a sip of her tea nonchalantly.

"What happened?" Mikey asked curiosity consuming his face. Sam chuckled from his expression.

"We just…" She cleared her throat. "It wasn't anything important." She put her cup on the table stirring it with a spoon. "It was just a dream."

"Ah…man. Why do all the hot chicks go for the older brother?" He said crossing his arms in disappointment.

"I promise I'll try and have a dream about you tonight Mike." She smiled.

"Excellent!" Mikey said grabbing the pizza box and jumping onto the couch.

Leonardo walked in from the training room and pushed Mikey's head playfully as he walked by.

"Morning Don." He said grabbing a cup from a cabinet and pouring hot water from the kettle into it. Sam sat quietly at the table, sitting up straight and chewing her food.

"Morning Leo, how was your work out?" Don asked grabbing a fork for his pancakes.

"It was fine." He said looking at Sam. Donnie followed Leo's gaze and smiled.

"I made pancakes."

"Yeah, thanks." Leo looked up from his gaze smiling at his brother. He sat down at the table next to Don and put a pancake on the plate in front of him. "Master Splinter told me to work with you in regaining your strength." Sam looked up from her pancakes and swallowed what was in her mouth.

"Thank you, it would be a big help." She smiled taking a sip from her cup. She knew she could handle it by herself but why discourage him when all he wants is to help. He'd just get annoyed and start a fight, it's better to except his help than to be stubborn and prove herself. So had to bite her tongue hard do fight those urges. _Be friendly and courteous, he's never going to let you close if you keep an arm up as well_.

"You're welcome. If I can whip these guys into shape I'm sure you'll be a piece of cake." He smiled. She knew he meant that as a compliment, so she took it as one.

"You're very impressive in your skills so I'm glad that it's you." She said bowing her head.

Splinter walked into the kitchen from the dojo leaning on his walking stick. He smiled at the full table as he filled the cup Leo left for him on the counter with water. "Good morning my sons." He said placing his hand on Donnie's shoulder as he walked by.

"Good morning Sensei." Leo and Don said in unison.

"And good morning to you as well Samantha." He said bowing his head to her. She returned the gesture.

"Good morning."

"I hope you slept well."

"Very." She said putting her cup down and leaning on the table.

"Good. You need your strength so Leonardo can help you regain your abilities. I'm sure you have much to do in your own life and would wish to get back to it." He said pushing himself off Leo's shoulder as he walked into the living room where Mikey was watching TV.

"Shall we?" Sam said getting from the table looking over at Leo. He got up moving his arm out in front of him for her to go first. She smiled and walked into the training room.

"You're not hobbling as much." He said in an amused tone as he closed the door.

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment." She said turning to him. "Want to start with stretching?"

"Well, you should." He said crossing his arms a smirk slowly appearing on his face. Sam sat down and looked up at him opening her legs and moving her body down slowly between them, trying to press her chest to the floor.

"Funny." She said as she lifted her arms above her head moving back up. She brought her legs in from splits so they were shoulder length apart putting her hands behind her. "You going to help or keep working pretentious ass routine?" He rolled his eyes and sat in front of her. She put her hands out and he took them pulling her towards him. She fell forward catching herself on his thighs. She looked up at him in a glare as he smiled.

"Just want to keep you on your toes." He smirked. She pushed herself off him and held out her hands again, he went to take them as she moved them quickly out of the way.

"Don't do that again." She warned as he took her hands. He pulled her gently towards him almost laying his body completely flat to the ground as she stretched. She clenched her teeth as he pushed her back up. She shook the hair from her face letting out a breath of relief.

"You're shoulder ok?" He asked grasping her forearms.

"Yeah." She said rotating it. "I wanna see if I can stretch my leg." She said lying on her back. Leo got on his knees as she lifted up her bad leg in the air. Leo looked up at it and back at her. "You know this stretch?" She said getting on her elbows to look at him.

"Well, yes but do you…"

"Do I what? You wanted to help, you don't have to Leo." She smiled laying back down and putting her leg back straight in the air. He sighed and grabbed her leg putting his hand on her thigh and another on her shin. He pressed his plastron on her leg, moving his knees in closer to her letting his weight lay on her leg. Her leg bent resting on his shoulder as he pushed his body down on hers very slowly.

He could feel the warmth of her skin on his shoulder and the warmth of her breath on the side of his face. He closed his eyes trying to concentrate on something, anything else. Her knee touched the tops of her chest as her eyes closed and she tapped her hand on the floor.

"Ok, ok. Uncle." She said her voice trying to hide the pain. He pushed himself off her and pulled her up.

"Too much?" He asked examining her leg, seeing if the wound broke open again.

"I think so, yeah." She said leaning back on her hands breathing heavily.

"Want to start again later?" Leo asked concerned.

"No. My shoulder is fine, it my leg."

"Well, punching exercises then." He smiled getting to his feet. He put his hands up as she got to her feet slowly raising an eyebrow to him.

"And what do you suspect me to do?" She asked putting her hand on her hip.

"You don't know this exercise?" He said giving her a side glace. She rolled her eyes taking a stance in front of him.

"Ok, Mr. Pretentious…"

"Let's see what you got Ms. Secret Agent." A smile playing at his lips. She punched his palm as hard as she could, easily. Nothing hurt. She punched his other hand twice and then the other. Leo put his hands down shaking out the pain.

"Ok." He said grabbing punching pads to cover his hands. "Apparently we're gonna need these." She smiled as he took a stance in front of her and she did the same. She punched the pads. "Left." Leo demanded. "Again." His voice commanding. She took a breath in focusing on his voice. "Right." She followed instructions putting more force in her punch. Leo moved quickly and she followed with her fist. He kept moving as she started to get more of a feel for the room. "Good." He smiled putting his hands down. Her breathing was heavy as she brushed hair out of her face.

"Yeah, I am pretty good." She smiled putting her hands on her knees.

"Well, you're good at punching."

"Ha, yeah. I'm good at a whole lot of other things too Leo." She said sitting up straight.

"I'll have to wait and judge that statement won't I?"

"Well you're doing a great job of judging me in the meantime." She said turning away from him and looking around the room.

"I'm not meaning to…"  
She held up her hand to stop him from going on, taking a deep breath in.

"I know you're not. Just forget it." She said her back still to him. She shook her head in aggregation. _This was ridiculous_. She hated being in pain and helpless, especially in front of someone so skilled so she can't prove herself better than what he is seeing. She's so much better than just punching. _God!_ She reached out and punched the wall and then put her hand to her head.

"I didn't mean to upset you." Leo said stepping in closer to her.

"It's not you, Leo. I'm frustrated with myself. Karai was using that dart to her advantage. If I didn't have that fuckin' thing hit me I would of not have a wounded leg and I would have been fine. I would have gone back to my apartment and never imposed on you and your family…"

"You're not imposing…"

"I'm not used to being helpless. I am used to being in control of everything in my life. And just because of a stupid flesh wound I can't even walk right! You know how infuriating that is? I just want to be able to do a stupid kick again without feeling like my flesh is ripping apart."

"I know you must be upset, if I was in your place I would be feeling the same sense of incompletion. I suppose I shouldn't push you so hard because if someone was to me as I am to you I'd be frustrated as well." He put his head down embarrassed. She smiled hugging herself as she walked over to him. "I know how you feel. I've been out of use of my arm before and hated every second of it. Not being able to practice and train with my katanas was a living nightmare. So I tried, ignoring my brother's protest and just pushed the healing process further. Yours is just a flesh wound and should be fully healed in a day or two more. Maybe we should wait until then so I can have a good match with a worthy opponent for once." He smiled at her. She nudged him with her shoulder.

"Thanks."

"I do apologize for criticizing your skills without even knowing them." He said looking at her as they walked out of the training room.

"Really Leo, it's alright."

"No, you were able to take my sword from me without me even realizing until after the fact. That doesn't happen often. And when it does, believe me it doesn't end good for the snatcher." He smirked.

"I trust you." She said putting her hands up. "I had reasons, please don't behead me kind Sir, I promise I shall not do it again." She said walking in front of him putting her hands on his plastron. He shook his head walking past with a smile. She started to laugh following him into the kitchen.

Leo was about to pour Sam another cup of tea as they leaned on the counter closer to one another. He smiled at her as he looked away, noticing April coming down the stairs into the lair.

"April!" He said putting down his cup.

"Hey Leo, Don, Mikey. Sam, I brought you some of your things. Thought you might be in need of clothing and not smelling this place up any further than these guys do." April smiled putting the bag on the table.

"Gee, thanks." Sam said putting her cup down and looking through the bag. Casey came down the stairs second holding another bag. "God, how much stuff did you guys bring?" She said raising an eyebrow at Casey.

"This is all your hair shit." Casey said in a huff putting the bag on the table.

"My what… Oh…Geez, your sucha baby. It's just a hair dryer and some shampoo. You use more hair products than I do." She said walking past him flipping his hair. Leo and Don laughed as Casey crossed his arms in disagreement.

"I do not. I'll have you know my dashing good looks are all natural."

"Oh yeah, and those are gonna kick in when exactly?" Sam said walking over to the couch next to Mikey.

"Good one." Mikey said holding up his fist. She bumped hers against it with a smile.

"Aww, it's alright babe, I think you're just precious." April laughed pinching his cheeks. He knocked her hand away.

"Ok, you guys aren't allowed to be around one another anymore."

"You could always dish it, but couldn't take it Case." Sam said shaking her head. "So, do you guys have a shower or what?"

"Yeah it's…" Leo started.

"I wanna show her!" Mikey said jumping from the couch. Sam raised an eyebrow to him with an amused look on her face.

"So…You guys have a shower with a lock on the door?" She said to Don and Leo.

"I'll stand guard outside. I need one myself." Leo said grabbing Samantha's bags of toiletries and walking over to the stair case.

"What makes you think I trust you anymore than him?" Sam said walking over to the stairs with Mikey close behind.

"Maybe he shouldn't trust you dudette. You're the one having dreams about him." Mikey said walking past her up the stairs. Sam shrugged her shoulders.

"True. Watch your back Leonardo." She said narrowing her eyes, but having a smile appear ruining her serious act.

"What was that dream about anyways?" Mike said leaning in towards Sam. Leo turned his head still walking in front of them trying to over hear the conversation.

"Nice try Mikey."

"Aww…C'mon. Was it that bad? Did you guy like do the nasty?" Leo shook his head.

"I apologize for my brother's idiocy." Leo said stopping and letting his little brother past him. Mike turned his head.

"Dude, I don't trust you behind me." He said facing Leo and walking backwards. Leo glared at him and smacked him in the back of the head and turning his body around as they all stopped at the bathroom. "Ow bro." Mikey said rubbing his head. "This is the bathroom." Mikey said opening the door for Sam putting his hand down. She smiled and rubbed his head for him.

"Thanks Mikey. And Leo." She said over her shoulder to him. He handed her, her bag and stepped back. Mikey lingered in the doorway as Sam looked at him putting her things down on the sink. "Ahem." She put a hand on her hip. Leo rolled his eyes grabbing Mikey's arm pulling him in the hallway shutting the door.

Sam shook her head and pealed off her clothing. She turned the facet on putting her hand under the water waiting for it to warm up. She stepped into the water feeling instantly better as the hot liquid flowed over her body. She felt the hot water rinse off all the sweat and medicine left from the night before. She put her head under letting the hot water flow down her back. She reached out for her bag and grabbed some body soap, hoping there was a sponge of some kind to scrub her body clean. April bought her a loofah sponge. _Black, perfect_. She pressed the soap into the sponge and ran it across the top of her chest as the suds slowly drifted down her skin. She put her head back, washing her neck and shoulders. Following the sponge with her eyes as she put her arms out moving the sponge from her shoulder down her arms, then across her other. She started to relax as the hot water loosened her muscles. She reached for her shampoo and washed her hair putting head back in the water, keeping it there long after the shampoo was rinsed from her scalp. She didn't want this to end, but she knew it must. She turned the water off and opened the curtain as Raph was brushing his teeth. She closed the curtain again quickly clenching her eyes shut thinking maybe if she did it tight enough she would just disappear. _Shit, shit, shit_.

"Raph?" She said her eyes still clenched shut.

"Yeah?" He chuckled.

"Close your eyes."

"Why, I already seen it, its old news now." She opened her mouth in offence.

"Excuse me?"

"Calm down," He handed her a towel by just placing his hand inside the shower. "I saw nothin' anyways." He laughed again turning the water back on to finish brushing his teeth. She wrapped the towel around her glaring at him as she got out of the shower.

"What exactly did you see 'nothin' of?" She said looking at him in the mirror. He looked up and smiled at her.

"Nothin. Really. You were too quick. All I saw was skin and then curtain. I swear." His smile wasn't reassuring to her.

"Well can you leave so I can get dressed? What are you doing in here anyways don't you know to knock when someone's in the shower?"

"Not when you live with brother's who are naked anyway." He laughed. She rolled her eyes hugging the towel tighter to her body.

"Can you just leave please?"

"Hold your horses. I'm almost done." He said with spit in his mouth, spitting in the skin and rinsing it down the drain. "There, it's all yours princess." He said bowing before he left. She glared at him as he shut the door.

"Wow…" Sam said wiping off the steam from the mirror and turning towards the door, locking it. She dried herself off shaking her head. "Wow…"

Raph left with a smile jogged briskly down the stairs.

"Look who decided to get up early." Donnie said from his lab desk.

"Yeah, and I'm so happy I did." He smiled sitting on the couch next to Mikey.

"Why?" Don and Mike asked.

"Ha, I saw Sam." Mikey paused his game and looked at his older brother.

"Saw Sam…When…?" Mikey asked turning his full attention towards Raph.

"Just now, gettin' out of the shower." He smiled putting his arm on the back of the couch.

"What?!" Mikey exclaimed. "Bro, you have to tell me!" Mikey said bouncing on the couch with excitement.

"Calm down spaz, I didn't see anythin' good."

"Damn." Mikey said returning to his game. "This has been an arousing morning." Mikey said as his thumbs moved franticly over the controller.

"What?" Raph said moving away from his brother.

"Yeah dude. Sam told us this morning that she had a dream about Leo last night. Didn't tell us about what though. Bummer huh?"

"She had a dream about Leo? I'm the one that saved her!" Raph said looking over at Don. Don shrugged his shoulders.

"Well in someone's self conscious they're true feelings are able to come out, especially if said person is always hiding and burring their feelings deep down. So as they sleep, they can express their feelings throughout dreams. I guess an easier way to say it is the heart wants what it wants."

"Deep bro." Mikey said looking over at Don. Don shook his head returning to his gadget.

Sam walked down the stairs messing her hair around with her hands making it curly. She wore a pair of her favorite jeans that had rips in the knees and across her thigh. Her shirt was thin, white, long sleeved and fit loosely on her skin. Her midriff showing as she lifted her hand to her head, moving her chocolate brown hair out of her face.

"It's all yours Leo." She smiled as she walked past the library where he was reading a book. He looked up with a smile and a nod at her, going back to his book but his head snapped back up as his eyes followed her. Her body looked like it was glowing as she walked past him. Her hair was wet and messed around her head making her look animalistic. He felt his mouth open slightly as she walked into the kitchen. She reached for something in a cabinet and the shirt she was wearing lifted slightly showing off the skin on her back. He noticed something, a dark scar on it to the left, almost curving with her sides. He went to reading his book averting his eyes. He shook his head having a dispute within it. He saw the words but didn't absorb them. All he could think about was the way she looked. He shut the book and walked up stairs to his room closing the door behind him. He sank against it with a sigh shaking away the thoughts from his head. Taking a breath, he put the book that was still tight in his grasp on his night table and left his room to the bathroom.

As the hot water washed over his body he tried to keep his thoughts as far from her as possible. He cleared his mind, meditating her out of his head. _There has got to be another way to ignore her. She's beautiful. I have to teach myself to ignore a pretty face. She isn't just a pretty face though. She's nice, funny and respects Master Splinter, and gets along with my brothers..._ "Arg.." He turned his body around as the water ran across his shoulders down his plastron. She is different than Karai. She invaded his thoughts differently. With Karai he was able to ignore it, push her away in matter of moments. Until he saw her again, and fall into her fake words again. With Samantha, he didn't know weather or not to trust her but there was something there. Something he felt rush inside him whenever he looked at her, touched her. It was different and he hated different. _Snap out of it!_ He shook his head, getting aggravated placing his head back as water splashed into his face.


	5. Chapter 5

She woke up early feeling better about her leg. It hurt less and either way she couldn't stand going another day just laying around the liar watching hours of mind numbing television. She tried to read a book, but her self aggravated was too much. Leonardo tried to get her to meditate but that didn't help either.

She put on her sweats that April brought for her along with her Ipod she desperately missed and begged April to bring as well and went down to the training room. The lair was quiet and dark as the light from the TV bounced along the walls. Mikey's snoring was lighter than a couple nights ago. He's in a deep sleep. She slid open the door to the training room and was relived to see no one in there yet. She walked around the room first and put her arm band on sliding her Ipod in it. She put earphones in her ears and started to stretch. Her leg was resistant at first but started to loosen up as she pushed through the pain. The wound wasn't going to open and even if it did, it would heal eventually. She needed this now.

She touched her toes in a stretch and then put her hands flat on the floor, kicking her legs up doing a hand stand. She opened her legs in splits pushing off of her hands placing her feet on the floor taking a breath. She closed her eyes stretching her hands up to the ceiling then back down slowly taking a stance. She jumped in the air turning her body around in a roundhouse kick. She punched the air in front of her flipping backwards and landing on her knee. She pushed her free leg across the floor as if to kick someone's feet out from under them. She stood up and slamming her foot on the floor of where she pretended their head to be. She started to breathe heavier making noises as she moved forward punching and doing a spin kick, landing and doing a roundhouse.

She fell to the floor gripping her thigh. She had to stop, that was too much. She felt her leg throbbing with her heart beat. She pressed her hand to it and sat up straight pushing the pain away. She turned around quickly to Leonardo standing in front of her with his arms crossed tight with eyes like daggers looking into her. She stumbled back pulling her earphones from her ears.

"Jesus…"

"What are you doing?" His voice fierce.

"Nothing, stretching. What are you doing besides scaring the shit out of me?" She asked walking past him taking off her arm band.

"I am here to work out before I got you to train."

"Well, I beat you to it." She said crossing her arms.

"You could have really harmed yourself." He said walking over to her.

"I didn't." She said her voice equally as fierce as his.

Mikey walked in the room spinning his nunchakus and stopping in the doorway as he saw Leo and Sam locked in an angry glare.

"Uh…Hey guys." He said walking over to a chin up bar. Neither of them answered and Mikey kept his eyes on them as he started to do pull ups. He dropped down looking at Sam's leg, walking over to her. "Sam, your leg is bleeding." Sam looked down leaving her glare.

"Whatever, I can't even feel it."

"Good. Then you won't be able to feel it in a sparring match." Leo said still glaring at her.

"Fine." She said crossing her arms. Mikey walked over to Leo turning away from Sam and putting his hand on his older brother's shoulder.

"Bro, you shouldn't push her you might really mess her leg up." Mikey said in a soft whisper.

"She can't feel it Mikey. And besides, if she can do it when there's no one in the room going against direct orders to stay off it, then she can do it in front of us." Leo kept his eyes locked on Sam while he addressed Mikey.

"First off Leo, I'm not taking orders from you because I'm not one of your brother's you can push around. I am here because I respect Splinter and he wanted to see that I get better. I don't have to be here."

"You respect Splinter, but not me?"

"You never gave me a chance to! You were too bust trying to figure out who I was and nothing else. Your judging glares and questionable looks. You don't think I see those? You don't think I can tell…I can because I've used those looks before myself. You didn't want to know about whom I am just what I was and my skill level. So you want it, then take it." Her eyes evened in a glare against his. They stood still in front of one another as Mikey's eyes danced back and forth over them. She took a stance in front of Leo. Leo walked towards her as she backed up watching him intently. Mikey backed away from his brother swallowing hard. He circled her, she knew how to protect herself and if this was how she needed to prove herself to him then so be it. She felt her leg throbbing, but she's been in worse pain before and ignored it. She could ignore this.

He came up behind her and she grabbed his arm before he could get to her, guiding his body over her shoulder as he landed on his shell in front of her. She smiled as he got to his feet and roundhouse kicked her across the face. She stumbled back and crouched down looking up at him in shock. His face was intense and there was no sense of remorse on it. She got up and came at him kicking him in the plastron as he stumbled back from the strength she put behind it. He moved towards her, blocking her punches with his bicep and forearms. He moved fast and was efficient when he came in contact with her. But she was just as good when she struck him, hard and true making the skin on her knuckles red.

She jumped in the air in a spin kick at him as he came at her again. She missed as he grabbed her leg by the thigh and she twisted her body around kicking him with her opposite leg, falling to the floor as he did. She pushed herself up with her back taking a stance in front of him. He slid his leg around kicking her legs out from under her. He slammed his hand down to pin her, but she and moved out of the way getting behind him. She kicked him in the shell as he fell forward throwing her body on his putting her knee on his plastron near his collar bone. She put her weight down, and he tried to move her knee off him. He grabbed her waist throwing her off him as she landed hard on her back. She got to her feet, breathing heavy and waited for him. He waited for her. They stood there breathing heavily in a hard stance towards one another. They're eyes locked tight.

"You brought my family into something Sam. Something that they have no business being in!" Leo said, his voice echoed through the room.

"I never asked to be brought here into your life with your family. Raphael brought me here because he trust's in his family."

"So you're blaming Raph?"

"I'm not blaming anyone, you are!"

"I can accept this kind of thing from him, but to bring someone as dangerous as you here he crossed the line. You could have killed us all with whoever is looking for you. How could I have trusted you knowing my family is in danger because of you?" Leo said walking in towards her breaking off the distance between them. Sam's eyes narrowed putting her arms down.

"That's what this is about? You don't know if you can trust me?"

"How do I know this isn't apart of some plan you have with the Foot and them coming here just to throw us all off?"

"If this was some plan you'd be dead already."

"Oh right, I forgot the great and powerful secret agent." Leo said throwing his arms up.

"You let them walk right into your home you sought out so hard to protect Leo! I could have killed her with all she's done to me. No one gets away with that much and gets to live to tell about it. I wouldn't waste my time for almost a week for some plan! That's just stupid and no one could afford it." She said moving closer to him. He didn't back down and kept his eyes on hers. "You want to trust someone so badly maybe you should start with yourself. I did nothing to deserve this." Her voice turned low as her face was inches from his. "You're brother brought me here because he knew Don would help, and he did. If I had a say in the matter I would have never told Raph to bring me here. I wouldn't have put people in danger that I didn't know." She shook her head in disbelief. "So thank you. Thank you so much Leo for making me see that no matter what I do, or who I come in contact with I'm always going to be the one at fault because I'm the one with all the secrets. I open myself up to you thinking maybe this guy will be different. Maybe he'll finally be able to understand. You of all people, I thought maybe you'd get it. But, I guess I was wrong." She grabbed her arm band and left the room slamming the door shut behind her.

Donnie looked up from his lab desk as she came out of the training room grabbing her bag that was on the couch. Mikey followed after her.

"Where are you going?" Donnie asked getting up from his chair. Raph stood at the top of the stairs to their rooms, his eyes following Sam as she grabbed her things and moved in a hurry.

"Back home. I'm healed apparently." She said walking backwards to the stairs before turning and walking up them. Raph looked at Donnie as he stood with an expression on his face of not knowing what to do. Raph shook his head and ran down the stairs.

"Sam!" He called up after her. She turned at the top of the stairs and waited for him to get there. "I'll come with you, these sewers can be tricky."

"Fine. But, you can tell Leo that this was at your own will! I'm not making you play into my little game." She turned walking out the lair door. Raph looked down the stairs as Leo walked into the main room with his arms crossed tight against his plastron and a look on his face he often had after fights with Raph.

Raph caught up to Sam as she walked along the side of the sewer trying to stay out of the water.

"Remind me to shower when I get home. This is probably the most disgusting walk through New York City I've ever had." She said looking over her shoulder.

"You get used to it. So what happened?"

"You're brother is infuriating!"

"Yeah, I got that part. Why?"

"It doesn't matter. He was right anyways. I brought your family into something and now you could be put into very bad situations with this person that's trying to find me and that's my fault. So it's better that I'm leaving."

"We could keep you safe."

"I can keep myself safe."

"For how long?" Raph said stopping. She turned around and looked at him as he crossed his arms with an even glare at her.

"I've done it for years Raph, what's a few more?" She said walking on.

"Well don't be surprised if I show up every now and again to check up on you." He said leaning against the wall. She laughed to herself.

"Thanks." She said putting her hand on the ladder that led to the street. She started to climb it. "Tell Don and Mikey I'm sorry for leaving the way I did. Splinter as well, that wasn't fair for them." She looked down in a sigh. Raph put his hand on her shoulder.

"They'll live, but I'll let them know."

"Thanks." She smiled as she started up the ladder. "See you around?"

"Around." He said looking up at her. She closed the manhole and hugged herself as the windy streets of New York took her over. She was Samantha again, playing a normal girl in a messed up girl's life. She ran across the street to her apartment building.

Raph stared up at the manhole, leaning against the ladder for a moment listening to the sound of her feet disappear. He felt a smile rise on his face as he turned around to go back to the lair.


	6. Chapter 6

WARNING:  
The contents of this chapter get a little rated R. Sexual content and descriptive sexual experiences. I myself can't shack up with Leo so I'm letting Sam do it.

Samantha looked over the streets below her as she leaned against the cold metal of her fire escape. Her head raced with words that had been said between her and Leonardo. Nothing sat well with her and what had happened. She wanted to go back and tell him that he was right and it's better for her to stay away, and another part of her wanted to go back just to see him again, in case she never got to. There was something there, something between them that flared up every time they got close to one another. Her stomach would flutter as he showed her a new maneuver. She could feel his eyes on her as she crossed a room, always looking away with a faint color of pink coming to his cheeks. She'd smile and then remember herself, and the fact that he wasn't like her. But, he was in so many ways. _He lead his family, he was strong, passionate, loyal, beautiful…Beautiful?_ He was. She shook her head ignoring her question on his looks. _He was beautiful, body and soul. Everything in my life has seemed to be flawed somehow, except Leonardo. Everything seemed perfect there._ She felt her heart start to beat fast within her chest and took a deep breath.

The smell of the ocean air blew around her face as she hugged the sweater she had on tighter to her body. She knew this was her new beginning and hated that it would be without him. She thought that maybe he'd be the one to bring her back, but he doesn't know anything about her. It was a foolish thought and she knew it. She took a breath in and broke her stare from the dark sky and looked down the street closing her eyes as to the wind blowing her hair out of her face. She felt her fire escape shake slightly and she smiled.

"Raph, I'm fine really…Leo!" She said looking over at Leonardo as he walked down the fire escape towards her. She backed up slightly and he put his hand up.

"I had no intentions of fighting with you." He said softly sitting on the last step.

"Good. I'm all out of come backs."

"I came to apologize. I had no right to say those things to you and to think so badly of you without even know who you really are." He said with his head down. "I had a long talk with Splinter. Remember when I told you I was a bad judge of character?" He said shaking his head.

"Yeah…?"

"Well, this was a prime example of that." He said looking up at her.

"Do you wanna come inside?" She said sliding open her window.

"Yeah." They both went inside and she shut the window behind him and leaned against it as he walked around her apartment. "Wow…You have a lot of artifacts. Donnie would love it."

"Ha, yeah. I traveled a lot in my profession." She said swinging herself off her wall and following him.

"They said it's ok by the way. They blamed me for kicking you out and I actually got an ear full from each of them. Including Raph." He smiled shyly at her.

"I bet."

"I was just too worked up about everything and I meditated about it and came to the wrong conclusion on my own. I was just going to talk to you about it until I saw you training without me…"

"And you were irritated that I was doing so without your help." She said sitting on the arm of her couch.

"Yeah. Which is completely ridiculous I know but…"

"I would have been just as mad." She smiled.

"It's just hard being the oldest and looking after brothers. I guess it's just in my nature."

"I know what you mean."

"How?" Leo said walking over to her. She pointed to a cabinet on a far wall separating her kitchen and living room. The top of it was filled with picture frames and a pair of katana's on the wall. Leo walked over as Sam followed him leaning against the wall next to the cabinet. "Who are they?"

"That's Emma and Jordon. They're my sisters." She smiled pointing out blonde and brunette headed girls in a picture with Sam in the middle. "Emma is the youngest and Jordon is 2 years younger than me." She said taking the picture from Leo and running her hand over it. "I never talk about them because it hurts too much. I would never get to see them because of what I did. They don't know what I do, they just think I work for some firm and I travel the world." She laughed to herself. "Funny, I was able to tell you so much and I couldn't even tell my own family." She put the frame down on the cabinet and looked at Leo. His eyes were filled with sorrow as they looked at her.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize. If I was in your place, with my sisters I would have thought the same thing."

"When we were…Early in the lair…"

"When we had a fight?"

"Yeah. You thought I would be different, you said that maybe this '_guy_' would understand. That was the first time I was referred to as…"

"Really? I don't even see you as anything but who you are." She smiled leaning in towards him. He moved back slightly and looked at her. Her eyes were focused on his, but were soft and kind. He swallowed hard as he felt her skin touch his on the back of his hand.

"And who do you think I am?" Leo said making his voice even and deep. He couldn't stand to have it shutter as she pressed her body against his.

"I think you're a kind, good person, with good values and amazing skills. You could sure teach me a thing or two." She smiled devilishly at him moving her hand up his arm. He could feel himself tense up as she touched him. He didn't want to, he wanted to be as casual about this as she was. The only other attention he's gotten from a woman was of an enemy. Before he could finish his thought her lips touched his. It was soft and gentle. He let his thoughts go gripping onto her bicep and pulling her body closer to his, her chest smashing hard against his plastron.

She lifted her hands across his strong shoulders to the back of his neck, brining his head to hers firmly kissing him. He picked her up putting her on the cabinet they stood next to knocking over the pictures crashing to the floor. She brought his body in between hers guiding him there with her legs. He ripped the sweater off her body tossing it to the floor. He put his hands on either side of her holding himself up. Her hands searched his body, feeling his muscles on his arms flex under his weight. She slid herself closer to him wrapping her legs around him. He could feel the warmth from between her legs as his body moved against hers. He guided his hands under her thighs cupping her ass taking her from the cabinet, slamming her hard against her hallway wall. Her skull cracked against the plaster and she hissed in pain, only to turn into a moan from his lips finding hers in the darkness. Light seeping in from the kitchen is all that lit the hallway that they made their way down. Pictures and statues she hung from the wall fell as he slammed her body against the opposite one, grabbing her hands and pinning them tight above her head. She smiled against his lips, biting them playfully.

"Bedroom." She managed taking a breath. He grasped her tight against him kicking open her bedroom door, nearly breaking it off the hinges. He threw her on the bed laying his body on top of hers. He pressed himself in between her legs as she rocked her hips against him. He moves his lips down her neck as she arched her back moaning slightly to the feel of his soft warm tongue sliding along her sensitive skin.

The heat coming off from both of them made their bodies start to perspire. She leaned up against him as he leaned up off her as she ripped the tank top off her body. She moved her hands up his arms, sliding off his elbow pads and wrist bands throwing them to the floor before wrapping her arms around his neck again, pulling his body back to hers. He could feel her soft skin from her chest rub against his plastron as he moved his hand down her side making goose bumps run up her body. The chill made her nipples erect as he moved his hand on her stomach, up to her breast cupping and messaging it gently in his hand. She moaned softly to his touch. The sound of her against his ear made his sex throb for her. He buried his head in the nape of her neck trying to clam himself. His breathing started to get deeper against her chest and she moved her head to look at him. His deep brown eyes were coved in lust and she opened her legs against him in welcome.

He moved his hands to her pants sliding them off of her body. The fabric between him and her opening was thin and easily ripped from her body as he threw the shreds of it to the floor. He plunged himself inside her warmth and she arched her back having her body move to his lips. He kissed along her soft skin as she moaned to the feel of him swell inside her. He slide his hands up her legs pulling her body closer to his, making him go deeper inside of her.

He moved slowly, trying to make himself last. He focused on other things, but his thoughts never drifted far from how slick she felt against him and how the warmth of their bodies consumed him in her bed. His breathing became deep as she lifted her body, pressing it hard against his. She straddled his lap, moving her body on his shaft setting a steady pace to her liking. He closed his eyes gripping onto her hips. She hissed in pain and he loosened his grip, but she forced his hands back to press harder. She moaned throwing her head back, leaving her neck venerable to his lips. He thrust harder inside her as he bit down on her skin dragging his lips along her shoulder, having a moan escape from his lips that he couldn't keep harbored any longer. She rolled her hips as he moved up deeper inside her and that threw him over the edge of pure ecstasy. She dug her fingertips in to his bicep as he let himself go inside her.

She put her hands on the side of his face and kisses his lips, breathing heavy against them. He felt his body collapse as he fell back on her bed. She smiled as she hung over him. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear that fell in her face, staying there with sweat from her brow. She kissed down his neck softly, to his collar bone, laying her head on his shoulder.

She grabbed a pillow from the top of her bed and placed it under his head, wrapping the blanket that was tangled between them over her exposed body. He ran his hand along the soft skin on her arm looking at her with a smile. She smiled back and rested her head back on his shoulder. He pulled her body closer to his own as she never felt more alive, safer than at that very moment. She started to feel her eyelids get heavy as his breathing steadied against her own. Sexual exhaustion consumed them both as sleep took them prisoner. He always had this aching feeling in his stomach, an incompletion that he never understood. For the first time in his life, that feeling disappeared as he fell asleep to the sound of her breathing.

Samantha's eyes fluttered open and she moved against what she excepted to be Leonardo's body, but got an empty space instead. She looked up and saw him putting on his elbow pads in the moonlight shining from her bed room window. It was nearly dawn and she leaned up on her elbow and touched his shoulder softly. He looked over at her with a smile and kissed her forehead.

"The guys are probably going to wonder where I am." He whispered. "Go back to bed."

"You can't stay a little longer? I grew accustomed to the feel of you next to me." She smiled leaning up as the sheet that covered her naked body, slide down to her waist. He smiled, moving his hand along her side admiring her body in the moonlight leaning down and kissing her shoulder softly.

"I don't want Don to worry." She leaned up and kissed his lips, pulling back slowly from them. He whimpered to her lips leaving his and closed his eyes tight. "Believe me if I didn't care I'd stay here, but I know Don and he'll worry." He said as he opened his eyes slowly, meeting hers.

"I know." She said softly, putting her forehead to his.

"I'll see you later." He said getting from the bed. He let his hand slide slowly out from hers as he opened her window and was gone. The curtains blew in the mornings City breeze as she took the sheets from the bed, wrapping them around her and watching his shadow disappear into the darkness.

"Later."


	7. Chapter 7

Leonardo jumped the roof tops of New York City in the darkness of the early morning. He landed without a sound as he looked over his shoulder as her shadow in the window disappeared. A smile lifted in his face as he jumped another roof top trying to beat the sun.

He felt a presence behind him, but when he looked around he saw nothing. He jumped another roof top where there was a chimney and hid behind it. He waited crouched down to hear anything. His sense perked up as he heard the pounding of heavy boots coming towards him. He slid his shell against the chimney and waited for the right moment and stuck out his arm closing lining the follower. He was about to draw his swords when he recognized the outfit. His eyes narrowed at his brother standing before him in his Nightwatcher outfit.

"Raph? Are you kidding me? You're out again after you… Master Splinter trusted you with this decision and you still have the…" Raph stood up and growled in his helmet spin kicking his brother across the face sending him back against the cement edge of the building. Leo stood up shaking away the shock from his face keeping a space between him and his brother.

"I had reasons to be out, I was checkin' up on Samantha, but I guess you had that all taken care of!" Raph said taking off his helmet.

"You all wanted me to go speak with her so I did."

"It takes all night to speak with someone now?"

"I don't have to justify my actions to you, Nightwatcher." Leo said before turning away.

"Maybe you should justify them to your other girlfriend then?" Raph called after him.

"Karai and I have nothing. I've told you this before."

"Yet, you let her walk right into our home, and I'm the one that is disturbin' the safety of our family? Yeah right Leo, you're so caught up in your own little world still you have no idea what's goin' on around you. Just as long as you're happy, that's all that mattas."

"This family means the world to me."

"I guess that world don't mean all that much to ya then."

"I had nothing to do with Karai and the Foot coming to our home Raph, I was just as surprised as anyone else!"

"You let them walk right in, and then you blame Sam for everythin' like it's all her fault for gettin' the shit beat out of her by Karai? And then, then you have the nerve to go to her apartment and woo her with whateva bullshit story you made up and all is forgiven right Leo?"

"We talked."

"Yeah, talked right into her bedroom."

"I know what this is about, you're just jealous."

"Ha, jealous? Of what? Please. I have nothing to be jealous of big brother. Believe me, once Sam finds out the truth she'll see which of us is the betta brother."

"The truth about what?"

"You and your little Shredder Junior. You think I don't see how you look at that sorry excuse for a woman? It's pathetic!"

"That doesn't happen…I was confused and…" Before Leo could finish, Raph quickly closed off the space between them slamming his gloves fist across his face. Leo stumbled back catching his bearings and took a stance towards Raph as they started to circle one another.

"Confused? You were confused? You knew what she was Leo and you still thought of her as somethin' other than an enemy? You don't deserve to have Sam's trust! She's way too good for you!" Raph growled at his brother. Leo's eyes narrowed and could feel himself getting filled with anger. He swallowed it down and unclenched his fists.

"Raph, I apologized for my accusations. What more do you want from me?"

"Nothin. I don't want nothin' from you Leo. But, if you hurt her. If you bring the Foot back to our home I don't care if it was your fault or not. If it happens again, I just might let my actions speak for themselves. Understand me?" Raph said moving closer to his brother, inches from his face.

"You can't throw empty threats at me Raph, I'm not scared of you." Leo said staring Raph in the eyes evenly, standing strong.

"Believe me Leo, they're not empty. You hurt her, I hurt you." As Raph turned he nudged his brother's shoulder dropping down a fire escape opening up a manhole to drop down.

The sun was coming up as the sky was turning a beautiful shade of orange. Leonardo stayed on the roof top trying to control his thoughts and anger before he followed his brother to the lair. They needed time to breath, as they always did after a fight which seemed to be more often than he'd like lately. Raph was going out more and more at night without his brother's. They were a team, and Raph was destroying everything he tried to hard to work for as a leader in keeping this team, this family together. He'd go out without telling anyone showing up early in the morning with bruises. Splinter begged his second eldest son to stop this and work with his brother's. Raph did listen, not wanting to go against his father's wishes. Then he discovered the Nightwatcher, taking his brother's identity. There wasn't anything more he could do as a leader or a brother. He didn't want to give up on Raph because he knew that he was doing it for good. But to put their family in danger…But Raph was right. Leo had put their family in danger just as Raph was doing being the Nightwatcher. His actions weren't any different.

_I shouldn't have mentioned jealous. That was petty and stupid. _He shook his head and turned to jump another roof to take an alternative root home and was faced with Karai's katanas. He stumbled back and exposed his own blade towards her.

"What are you doing Karai?" Leo asked his voice deep and fierce.

"Did you have a good sleep over Leonardo?"

"Leave Samantha out of this."

"She is the only reason we're in this. You should have not brought your family into this Leonardo. Now, you've left me no choice." Karai said stepping closer to Leo, he moved back with each step she brought forward. Her eyes were locked and dark on his. He felt his heart pound as she dropped her blade putting it back in the strap on her back. Leo kept his blade close to his side, looking over his shoulder at two other members of the Foot. "You trust too much, Leonardo. You should have known better. Listened to your brother." She smirked. Her body was close, too close and Leo tried to push her away, but she grabbed his forearm bringing his body into hers. He resisted glaring at her and she stepped closer with a firm grip still on his arm as she stabbed a poisons dart into his bicep. He looked at it and then at her as she pushed him down. He stumbled at first, as everything around him started to blend together. He tried to fight it, have a clear mind but the poison was stronger than what he thought and over took his senses leaving his body motionless on the concrete roof top.

Samantha woke up abruptly grabbing a gun she had taped on the side of her night stand. She put her hand on her head looking around her room at her Casey staring at her in shock.

"Whoa! Easy Sammy! This thing isn't loaded." He said putting down his bat. Sam rolled her eyes and gripped her sheets closer to her body that she just realized was still exposed.

"What are you doing here Casey?" She asked irritable, her voice still having the essence of sleep attached to it.

"Have you seen Leo lately? He went missin' after the guys had a fight with him last night. Raph said he saw him early this morning topside but I guess didn't go back home." Sam's head looked up and met Casey's concerned eyes. She looked over at her clock and it read nine o'clock. It couldn't have taken him that long to make it back to the lair? She was only a few blocks away.

"He came here last night, but left early this morning. He couldn't of possible taken that long to make it back to the lair something had to of happened?" Sam said her voice turning to worry. Casey stepped back and looked at his childhood friend. Her hair was a tattered mess on her head, and the sheet she held a death grip on lay right above her chest, exposing bare shoulders. Casey grinned at her. "What?" She said to his irritatingly goofy look.

"You and Leo huh?"

"Shut up."

"Really, I thought he might be your type and all but wow…"

"Shut up Casey! This is serious!" He rolled his eyes and handed her a tank top that lay on the floor.

"I'll let you get situated." He chuckled leaving her room. She glared at him as he left and got up putting clothing on. As she went to her living room she stepped over broken glass and frames lying across her hallway. She noticed Donnie, Mikey and Raph sitting on her couch. She immediately smoothed out her hair, worried they'd figure out what had happened. She wasn't ready for that yet and she knew Leo wasn't either.

"Wow, you look like shit." Raph said looking over at her.

"Yeah she had kinda a rough night." Casey chuckled. She walked past him hitting him in the gut. His laugh was cut off by the wind getting knocked out of him.

"What happened to your hallway?" Mikey asked looking past her.

"That doesn't matter. What are we going to do about Leo?"

"We tried looking for him, but we can't really do much without being seen." Donnie said putting his head down in worry. Mikey sighed too, getting up from the couch and pacing. Sam watched him and tried to weigh the options in her head. She knew who this was. She knew who he was working for. She just didn't know the where. She broke her glare from the floor snapping her head up at Casey.

"Do you guys have any idea where the Foot keeps their members? Or take prisoners? Like an old factory or warehouse?" _Warehouse…_ She thought to herself. "Wait a minuet." She said aloud. "He owns…Oh my god! Why didn't I realize this before?" She ran down the hall stubbing her toe on a metal frame. "Ow, son of a…" She turned her computer screen on in her office and searched the files she had access too. Don and the others walked in after her. Donnie leaned over her shoulder.

"Whoa…How'd you break that code? Those are government files."

"I worked for them remember. I have access to these codes."

"So what are you trying to find?"

"There's an old warehouse outside the City that he has the deeds too. Every time we think he's in New York, or in this general vicinity we get a warrant and search the place. But by the time we get the warrant it's empty. Seeing as though I don't work for the government anymore, I don't need a warrant." She smiled looking over at Don. "Here!" She said pulling up the deed, blueprints, location, address and picture of the man that captured their bother. She leaned back in her chair gleaming with achievement.

"Do you mind?" Donnie asked putting out his hand to help her out of the chair.

"Oh, not at all. You're probably better with this stuff than I am. I usually have people just give me the papers." She smiled getting up as he sat down. She leaned against the desk, as her bare arm touched his. He looked at it out of the corner of his eye and quickly back towards the screen.

"So, ok. This is the address. Security would most likely be outside these doors here, and here." He said pointing to the blue prints of the building. "The only thing is we don't know how many and of what form they are in. Are they Foot, are they his guys, do they have guns excreta."

"So what are we gonna do bro?" Mikey said leaning off his older brother's shoulder and looking at Casey and Raph.

"We're gonna go there and bust some heads." Raph said crossing his arms tight against his plastron. Sam smiled and it slowly faded. She ran out of the room again towards her bed room. Raph looked down the hall at her as she paced back and forth in front of her door. She was on the phone, talking to someone, using hand gestures laughing occasionally. He leaned in the door way trying to over hear both sides of the conversation but only got hers.

"So you're still here then? Great! You know my apartment building. Ok, good. Do you have your things? It wouldn't be you if you didn't Frankie." She laughed and let the other person speak. "Ok, good. I'll see you in a few then. Bye." She clapped her cell phone shut and looked up at Raph with a smile. He raised an eye ridge to her as she walked by. "I found our saving grace." She said patting Mikey on the shoulder as she walked back into her office. Don turned around in the chair as Raph walking in after her.

"Who's Frankie?" Raph asked standing next to Casey.

"Old friend. I partnered with her in a lot of missions. We worked really well together and then became really good friends in the process. She grew up in Boston, another City girl like myself. She's exactly what we need for this. I taught her everything she knows, believe me your brother is in amazingly good hands." Sam said crossing her arms.

"Isn't Frankie a boy's name?" Mikey asked. Sam laughed as Donnie spoke up.

"It's short for Francis Mike."

"Oh…awesome."

"She should be here soon. By night fall we'll have everything we need to get your brother. It shouldn't take any longer than tonight. If she comes well equipped like she said she would." Sam said her voice changing to concern.

"Equipped?" Don repeated.

"Ha, yeah. She likes to keep a various amount of weaponry on her at all times. She's up to six now I think?" She counted in her head. "Yeah six."

"How many can you have?" Raph smirked.

"Ten. Usually. Wearing the right outfit twelve." She said her voice and face completely serious.

"How?" Mikey asked.

"Straps, belts, pockets, hand bags, bras, boots, sleeves. Things like that." She smiled.

"Whoa…" They all said in unison.

* * *

"Where's your beloved Samantha now?" Karai said as she chained Leonardo up in a concrete room in an abandoned wear house outside New York. His cheek was bleeding from a failed escape along with his eye being swollen and a few bruises along his arms and legs.

"You're never able to get away with this Karai." He growled. "You know my brother's will be here. You know Samantha will too. And I pray for you when she does because I doubt after what you've done to her she will show you any mercy."

"That's what we hope for. She comes here, and you get to watch her suffer." Karai said kneeling down and cupping his face with her hand. He narrowed his eyes and spat at her. She slapped him across the face and wiped his spit away. "Disgusting creature. Death will own you soon." She said as she walked out of the room. Outside she took one of her Foot Ninja's sleeves and wiped her face again. "You two stay here and don't let anything in or out. If you see anyone other than myself come down this hall, kill them." She said leaving.

"This will lure her for sure." Karai said as a large portly man about age of fifty joined her in her stroll through the hallways of the warehouse. He wore a white suit as the soles of his dress shoes hit the floor as he walked down the hall to an open area. Foot Ninjas and his hit men worked to fill boxes of weapons and put them around the warehouse.

"If it doesn't, be grateful darlin' that your father and I knew each other well. Other wise, you'd be dead by my hand. And it would be a pity to waste sucha pretty little thing like yourself." He said in his southern accent. Karai glared at him as he walked away to check his inventory. Karai cursed her father's name in her head. If it wasn't for him she wouldn't have this stupid vengeance for those damned turtles. She pushed aside a Foot Ninja and walked into her office slamming a door. There was a small monitor that shown Leonardo struggling to get loose of his chains. Finally he gave up and put his head back against the concrete wall, his chest raising and falling with his heavy breathing.

He stared at the cement ceiling thinking, trying to come up with a way to get out of this. He was tired, exhausted. His body was giving up on him even though he pushed himself. Pushing himself made it worse. He tried to concentrate on the thought of getting out, putting more pressure on the metal around his wrists trying to break them apart. He felt his muscles stretch as the trickle of blood started to fall into his palms. It was useless to harm himself this way. It was useless to tire himself, they were going to need him soon enough.

His breathing started to shallow as his thoughts rested on his brothers, his brother. The words they shared to one another before he encountered Karai. The fighting he had to withstand physically and mentally with his brother and with the Foot. As he awoke from the poison Karai injected, he tried so hard to get away. Five against one are never good odds. His heart throbbed for his brother as his mind screamed for a reason why he put himself in this place. Karai was right. He's too trusting. He was too trusting of someone that he knew shouldn't and didn't trust someone he knew he should. He was confused and scared. It wasn't like him. _Tired. You're just emotionally, physically, mentally tired._ He sighed, putting his head back and trying to get as comfortable as this concrete slab between his back and where he sat would allow. He closed his eyes letting the throbbing pain in his head subside.

* * *

Author's note: 

This story is taken place before Leo leaves for South America. Raph creates the Nightwatcher while Leo is still home because his leader ship skills are slipping. Which is why Splinter tells him to leave and find himself, and make himself better for the family. This is why Leo is so disoriented and confused. There had to be some reason why Splinter sent him away.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Has she come yet?" April asked shaking out her hair from the rain. Michelangelo looked at her with excitement as she entered Sam's door, but returned to his blank stare on the television as he realized who it was.

"No. She said she'd be here as soon as she can. That can mean anything with Frankie!" Sam said biting her nails. She started pacing the floor again in her hallway and finally disappeared back into her office where Donatello looked over the blue prints trying to memorize the layout of the building. April went to the living area where the boys were and sat in an air chair next to the couch.

"She's been doing that for a good three hours now. I think she's even more worried than these guys." Casey said looking past April at Sam.

"Why would that be?" April said in a whisper, so the guys wouldn't over hear.

"Well, I think she has a thing for Leo?" Casey whispered back, leaning off the edge of the couch closer to April.

"Really? How can you be…" Before April could finish there was a buzz from Samantha's intercom from the front door of the building. Sam ran out from the office and to the door, pressing the button immediately. Donnie walked out standing behind April where everyone was watching Sam intently.

"Hello?"

"Hey there Sammy girl!" A familiar voice came. Sam smiled and her body almost sank against the wall in relief.

"Frankie! Come on up."

"You hear that Chester she's lettin' me up! Weird how when I saw somethin's it's true." Frankie said but not towards the intercom. Her voice was distant.

"What?"

"You wear a black jacket and hold a huge duffle bag and all of a sudden you're a criminal! Anyways, ring me in so we can, uh… paint the town _red_." Frankie said with a sarcastic tone.

A few moments later there was a knock at her door and Sam jumped from the back of the couch and ran to the door. Mikey and Raph stood from the couch, Mikey staying where he stood and Raph wondering into the kitchen and leaning against Sam's sink crossing his arms tight to his plastron. Donnie coaxed Mikey to go into the kitchen with him. His little brother was still a little shaken up about Leo being missing and was in some sort of haze. He put on a comforting smile and rubbed Mikey's shell guiding him towards the kitchen.

Sam opened the door to a girl standing in the hallway holding a large black duffle bag. She was soaked to the bone, but didn't seem to pay any attention to her shivering. Raph looked at the girl immediately sitting up right from his lean against the counter. Her hair was a beautiful shade of dark red. It ran inches below her shoulders, as the back of her leather jacket had streaks of wetness running down it. She handed Sam the bag in a huff. Her body was fit and her blue jeans stuck tight to her body from the rain, showing off some great features. Raph looked down her body and shook his head adjusting himself against the counter like the whole idea made him uncomfortable.

"Gez, sucha fancy place and you don't even have a bag boy to carry my shit. Figures." She said walking past Sam.

"Hi to you too Frankie." Sam said taking the large bag and placing it on the kitchen table. Frankie looked over at April and Casey with a greeting smile and then towards the large turtle leaning against the sink. Mikey and Donnie prepared themselves for the scream that was about to come as Frankie's eyes wondered over to them. She raised an eyebrow looking them over and then turned her attention away.

"So, how are we…" She started going through her duffle bag.

"Wait a minuet. You're not even gonna freak out?" Raph asked stepping away from the counter.

"Yeah yeah, you're a giant turtle that talks. Want a cookie? We got shit to deal with and believe me I've seen some things in my day and you're far from freaking me out. It's your brother right?"

"Yeah." Raph said with a slight growl.

"Well, you wanna save him or not? Because if you wanna talk about your comin' about and your wonderful life story that I am sure is truly fascinating, by all means go for it cupcake because we have _all_ freakin' day." She said crossing her arms. Raph opened his mouth to say something but nothing came to mind.

"Wow…no one's ever been able to shut him up" Casey said eyes wide with shock.

"How about you shut up!" Raph said walking past the girl into the living room.

Frankie dumped the contents of the duffle bag onto the kitchen table. Knifes and semiautomatic weapons spread out along the table top. Donnie walked over looking at all the weapons, as Mikey followed looking over his shoulder.

"Whoa, you're like a chick version of John McClane." Mikey said picking up a gun and examining it. Donnie took it from it him and put it back on the table.

"I like to be prepared." She smiled. "So where is this place anyways?" She said leaning off the table of weapons and crossing her arms towards Samantha.

"It's right outside the City. Secluded area, just right for loud explosions." Sam smirked.

"Wow…You're really wanting to get this guy huh? I like it!"

"Yeah, well they took something really important to me…" She stopped and looked up at Don and Mikey who looked back at her in a questionable look. "Important to them, their brother. I just wanna get him back." Sam corrected herself. She walked into the office as Mikey and Don looked at one another and then over their shoulder at April and Casey who shrugged their shoulders.

"So hey, Big Red. You ever use a gun before?" Frankie said tossing him an unloaded handgun.

"I don't need to." Raph said in a smug tone catching the gun and tossing it back to Frankie.

"Well guess what! You will today. Boys, here ya go." She said handing two more to Mikey and Donnie.

"Uh, no. Thank you, but no. We don't use guns. It's against what we've been taught." Donnie said placing it on the table like it was dirty.

"Suit yourself." Frankie said tucking a few knifes and guns in her jacket pockets.

"Here, these are the blueprints." Sam said spreading out the paper over the remanding guns.

"So that's easy. We've done jobs with less information than this." Frankie said as the turtles, Casey, April and Sam leaned against the table. "I mean, we know the guy, you guys know that Karai chick and the…Foot. Whoever they are. We have the blueprints and address. What else really is there? We have our strength and abilities." She said looking over at Sam who nodded. "Don, you have the brains. We're good!" She leaned back with a smile.

"We just don't have transportation." Sammy said crossing her arms.

"Yeah we do! We can all fit in the van!" Mikey said looking over at April and Don for approval.

"Well, I suppose. If Casey moves all his old hockey junk out of it." April said narrowing her eyes at him.

"There's a few sticks and pucks in there. What's the big deal? Nobody uses that piece of junk anymore anyways." Casey said taking a step back from April.

"The sun is going to be setting soon. We should get a move on if we want this done tonight." Sam said, her voice determined.

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter was basically to introduce Frankie who is another strong willed character and I thought it was necessary to bring another part of Samantha's past to life. 


	9. Chapter 9

They reached an old warehouse, in the middle of the abandoned woods, miles away from the busy New York City. Casey parked the van well far out of view of the building. All seven passengers got out of the van, sliding the door shut. Samantha stepped out of the van last strapping her katana to her back. Frankie strapped a gun to the hostler on her belt watching Sam with a confused look.

"Why'd you bring that again?" Frankie asked gesturing towards Sam's katanas.

"A gun won't help me with who I plan on fighting." Sam said, her voice even. Frankie watched her walk ahead and didn't bother asking anymore questions. Raphael followed Sam as Frankie and Casey followed him. Michelangelo and Donatello kept April in between them as they followed Casey.

They walked the worn down path through the woods, made by cars and trucks coming and going. The only light they had was from the moon shinning through the leaves. Sam remembered the path being harder to get through when she first tried to arrest him. But, she wasn't here for an arrest. She was here to rescue something that she held dear, something that shouldn't have been brought into the middle of this. When she finds _him_, along with Karai she didn't know what she might do.

They came in view of the building staying to the woods and brush to hide them. They saw a couple guards outside a big metal door. Sam crouched down as Raph and Frankie followed her on either side. Casey looked behind him to make sure the guys had April protected.

"There's not many, we could take them." Raph whispered to Sam, Frankie nodded.

"We want to get in unnoticed. We're expected, this is all a trap to get me here so he can kill me. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken your brother. We need to be cautious and not just run up guns blazin'." Sam shot her words to Raph who narrowed his eyes at her.

"Well, why the hell not?" Frankie shot back before Raph could say anything. "We want this done we'll get it done!" She said in an angry whisper.

"Frankie, this isn't some mission we're doing just to kill someone and leave. We're trying to get someone out alive this time. It's a little different." Sam said with a teaching voice. She moved her glare towards the building as his hit men and Foot Ninja circled the building.

"It looks like an easy in." Casey said moving next to Sam. She nodded her head.

"There's a reason." She said softly before getting up. Frankie stood as well, followed by Raph. She looked at Mikey and Don as they started to rise. "You two stay here, if something happens, go back and get away from here. Leo wouldn't be able to deal with you getting captured as well." She said with sad eyes. Donnie nodded his head slowly, knowing that's exactly what Leo would have said. Mikey started to dispute but Don put a strong hand on his shoulder and Mikey put his head down in a sigh. Sam smiled and rubbed his head. "We'll be alright, I'll call you over when it's clear." Mikey looked up at her with a hopefully smile.

She turned back and nodded for Raph and Frankie to follow her. All three walked slowly, without a sound. Sam pressed her back against a tree trunk ducking her head from behind it to see where the guards were. She held three fingers to Frank who nodded. She peered her head back seeing the guards turning their directions. She ran over coming up behind one placing her hands on the side of his face. Before he could scream or turn his body she snapped his neck laying his lifeless body on the soil. She nodded her head for Raph and Frankie to run over. Two more guards come from the side of the building and Raph took a stance as Frankie jumped in front of him kicking the guard across the face. As he fell she pinned him to the ground with her knee snapping his neck. She dusted her pants as she smiled at Raph. Raph managed a smile back but quickly faded as Frankie walked past him. He shook his head watching her walk away. _Focus. This is your brother, focus on your brother._ He said to himself.

Sam looked at the remaining guard who back himself against the building. She smiled and took a katana from her strap pointing it at the boy who stood before her. He shook violently with fear.

"You're new." She said softly. He nodded as his body went flat to the building. "Do you want to die?" She said pressing the tip of her sword on his Adams apple. He shook his head his eyes going wide. "Good. Where is Leo?" She said in a smoky voice.

"W-who?" He stuttered in a high pitched tone. She glared at him and punched him across the face.

"Don't play dumb with me boy!" She growled. He started to sob. "Where's the turtle?" She looked towards Raph. "Looks like him, blue mask, similar swords to the one that is going to kill you if you don't tell me what I want to know!" He pointed to a window high above his head. He looked at where his finger was making sure it was the right room.

"Th-there.. H-h-he's in th-th-there." He said, tears streaming down his face. She put her katana back in her strap and walked closer towards him. He clenched his eyes shut like he was awaiting death. She smiled soft and kind putting a hand to his shoulder.

"Go home. I'm sure you're mom is worried about you. And don't let me catch you back around his man, understand me?" She said fierce. "If I do, I will kill you." He nodded and took off towards the woods.

She looked towards the woods and whistled for Donnie, Mikey, Casey and April. They slowly moved out of the woods and then ran quickly over to the side of the building where Sam stood.

"Leo's in there." Sam said towards the group. "Do you guys have anything to get up there?" Frankie nodded her head taking out a small grappling hook she kept in her inside jacket pocket. She unraveled it tossing it up to the window the boy said Leo was held. It hitched on and she handed the rope to Sam.

"Always prepared." Sam smiled as Frankie winked at her.

Raph walked to Sam as she wrapped the end of the rope around her wrist, getting a good grip before she started to climb the side of the building. Raph held his hands out for her to put her foot in.

"I'll be close behind." He said. She knew it was his way of telling her he'd protect her. She smirked and nodded at him.

"I'll be fine Raph." She smiled. He nodded and cleared his throat holding his hands out. She put her foot in and he lifted her up as she climbed the building.

She reached the top, grabbing a hold of the windowsill. She turned her face away as she broke the thin glass with her elbow. She put her hand in unlocking it from the inside sliding it open. Leo lay in the corner of the small room unconscious. Her eyes started to burn as she choked back tears. She stepped carefully along the floor, not to make too much noise. She kneeled next to him placing his hand in hers softly so not to startle him.

His eyes fluttered open and he clenched them shut again to the feeling of dizziness. He tried to put his hand to his head but noticed it was in someone's possession. His eyes finally focused on her face and he stood up straight.

"S…" She covered his mouth putting a finger to her lips. He nodded his head and looked towards the door. She frowned as she looked at his bruised face in the moonlight shinning in. She slowly ran her hand along his cheek as he took it in his and kissed it. "I'll be fine." He whispered.

"This is my fault." She said noticing his bruised arms and legs. She winced to the damage. He lifted her head up to meet his face. Her eyes glossed over with tears as she blinked them away, the steams of tears running down her cheeks. He smiled and wiped one away moving her face in closer to his, they're faces inches away from one another's. He could feel his heart pounding just waiting for their lips too meet.

Raph pulled himself inside the window, pulling Frankie up with him. She fell slightly, as he caught her holding her in his arms. She smiled and patted his arms in thanks. She stepped away, looking over at Sam and Leo who pushed away from one another quickly. Sam cleared her throat before she spoke.

"Can you walk?" She whispered. He tried to get to his feet but his knees gave out from under his weight. Raph ran over to catch his older brother in his arms before his body fell to the floor. Leo managed a smiled at his younger brother who looked back at him with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry man." Raph said softly. Leo straightened himself out and put a hand on his shoulder.

Before he could tell his brother not to apologize, the door swung open. Karai glared at Sam running into the room kicking her in the stomach making Sam's body smack hard against a cement wall. Sam fell, gasping for breath as the air knocked out of her lungs. She got to her feet recovering quickly shaking away the pain and focusing more on the women before her. Karai took her blade out, as Sam did the same.

Raphael stood in front of his brother keeping his hand on the hilt of his sais, as Frankie stood next to Sam pointing a gun at Karai. Sam put her free hand on Frankie's forearms pointing the gun downward. This isn't how she was going to handle this.

Foot Ninjas began to file into the room grabbing Sam and dragging her out of the room. She didn't kick or scream or try and fight. She just accepted it. Her dark hair fell over her face as she picked her head up locking eyes with Leonardo who looked back at her with a slow nod. Soon his arms were grabbed by Foot Ninja along with his brother's. Frankie was the only one who fought, tossing her shoulders violently to break the grasp. Nothing helped. They just applied more pressure making her arms twist. She hissed in pain and fell to her knees. She was dragged along the hallway as the two turtle brother's were escorted behind her.

They were taken to the bottom level of the warehouse. It was an open space with a few boxes and crates in the far corners. Openings along the walls lead to hallways and exits that were hidden by darkness. His hit men and Karai's Foot Ninjas covered the walls, keeping an open space in the middle. Sam's eyes moved over the men and Foot Ninja before her, counting in her head. _Too many for an easy escape. I have Frankie. I have Raph, and the boys. And Leo…Leo. He isn't in too good of shape. _She put her head down ashamed of what she brought on to him and his family.She felt the anger with herself start to boil over inside of her. This was her fault and if she died for them, then so be it. She'd make sure they were safe.

Her best friend. _Casey…Oh no._ She looked over at him as he stood next to Don and Mikey who looked ashamed they were caught. April looked at Sam and then back towards her boyfriend. Sam's eyes followed April's as she noticed he had a bloody lip. _Oh, Casey you idiot! You're not supposed to fight back, not yet!_

She closed her eyes as the men held her biceps tightly dragging her to the middle of the floor. She saw Raph and Frankie come down the stairs as Leo was close behind. He limped slightly and his face was masking the pain with every step. _Be strong. Just a little longer, I promise. _

They push the brother's together with Casey next to them and April beside him. Frankie struggled next to Raph, growling fiercely at the men holding her. Sam turned her attention back to the men around her trying to control her breathing and concentrate. She needed to concentrate. _Ok. There's twenty men in here. Plus Karai._

"Welcome darlin'." A deep southern voice called throughout the warehouse. Sam darted her eyes up towards him. He stood with a white suit making his way down the stairs. "I see you finally found me. I knew you would. I hoped it would be sooner, but I guess I have to work with what you give me." He smiled as he walked over to her. She straightened herself as he circled her.

"Leave them out of this. This isn't their fight."

"Oh, but you made it that way, didn't you darlin'? You just had to go and make yourself apart of their little world? Aren't you ashamed of that? Don't you have any care about them? I'm sure if you did you'd stay away. Being what you are." He whispered close to her ear. He's breath reeks of scotch and stale cigars. She closed her eyes moving her face away from his. "Ya see, part of my and Ms. Karai's deal over here was that she brings you to me and I kill these…turtles for her. Finally her father rests in peace. And with you and them here all together, well that's just a whole mess of trouble out of the way isn't it? You being so nice and all to get yourself involved again with Mr. Jones. Feisty son of a bitch if you ask me. Good sprit though. Don't worry, I'll be sure to break that." With those words she looked over at Casey who kept a straight face. She tried to shake herself out of his men's grasp but they gripped tighter. She didn't hiss, or show pain. She couldn't afford to.

"I forgot how much you talk." She growled.

"Just catchin' up on old times darlin'. Don't say you didn't miss me?"

"Every waking minuet." Sam said with a sarcastic smile.

"Ahh, see. There's that spunk!" He said tapping her shoulder. She glared at his hand as he walked past her. "But, you know the plus side to all of this is just too good to be true. Really is. You're here without any fuss. I have more than enough men this time. And to top it off, you're boy toy over there gets to see me break every single inch of you. Then his family." He whispered in his ear, his eyes narrowing in on Leonardo. Her eyes went to Leo's as she clenched them shut to the image of Leo watching all of this. He wouldn't, she wouldn't let that happen.

"Bullshit!" Frankie spoke up.

"Ah finally, Francis! I'd hope you'd speak up soon. I did miss your annoying voice. Now come on darlin', let's hear it." He turned towards Frankie. She glared at him shaking the arms off her and failing.

"You lay one hand on her and I will have no hesitation of ripping your throat out with my bare fuckin hands." She growled keeping her eyes locked on his. He smiled and walked closer to her twisting a ring on his finger. It was a big gouty thing. Raph tried to break free as he placed a hand gentle to her cheek then back handing her across the face. His ring on making a large gash along her cheek bone. She turned her head back towards him without a sigh of pain on her face, besides the seeping of crimson running on her white tank top.

"You need to learn to watch your mouth girl." He hissed. She glared at him as he walked back towards Sam. She lifted her head up to meet his glare. She tried her best to show nothing on her face, no remorse, no pain, no sadness, just an even glare. He's done this before, taunted her, and made her feel guilty. Nothing he could do to her would make a difference now. The only thing she cared about was Leo and the others. Their safety was resting on her shoulders. On her making it out. She wasn't going down without a fight.

"Do you really think there's a need for the hold?" She questioned as he raised his eyes in an agreeable look. He motioned for the men to let go of her, and they threw her arms away like they were pieces of trash. She didn't hold them or rub the marks they made away. She simply placed them to her sides.

Casey frowned noticing her biceps were already beginning to bruise. His best friend for years and now they were in this predicament together. If he never asked for her to come back and help this wouldn't have happened. He looked over towards Leonardo who was basically being held up by the men behind him. Casey turned his face away trying to shake the image of another one of his best friends being beaten the way Leo had. Leo has had worse, but _this_ was Casey's fault.

"Ya know Samantha, you were always my favorite."

"Aw, you falter me." Sam said dryly.

"No, it's true." He continued. "You're immune to pain, makes it more fun for me. See how far I can push you until you're just broken." He chuckled cracking his knuckles.

"It's easy to be immune to such little pain." She smiled. He laughed and slapped her across the face. She didn't budge, just lifted her head back to face him. "Good example." She smiled again. Mikey chuckled in the corner.

"Showing off for your peanut gallery?"

"I wouldn't call it showing off." He glared at her from her words as he plays with a ring turning it upward. The slap sends her head to the right. The sound of her neck cracking echoes through the hollow building, the taste of blood covering the inside of her mouth. _I must have bit down on my cheek or tongue from the hit. I hate that._ She turned her head back and just smiles. He backhands her again, this time she gets to feel the ring. It slices her cheekbone and she just ignores it. _I've felt worse._ Her face meets his again as he pushes the chocolate brown hair from her eyes. She gather's the blood from inside her mouth and spits it in his face. "I know you can do better." She said her voice low and seductive. He growls, slapping her repeatable from one cheek to cheek. Casey cried for him to stop, his voice cracking slightly holding back emotion. They always love to do this. Smack you around a bit, talk to you to make them selves sound tough and make you fear them. It's kind of endearing in a sick twisted way. But, in this business everything is sick and twisted.

"So what do you plan on doing now darlin'?" He's making his anger known now as he wipes the bloody spit from his face. _This won't take long at all_ She smirks. He comes at her again this time closed fist and she stumbles back a little. He grabs a hold of her shoulder and brings his knee in to meet her abdomen. She hunches over in a grunt as he kicks her in the face. Her body falls to the ground bringing her knees up to her chest in a reflex to try and stop the tight pain in her stomach. Coughing is just making it worse, but she can barely breathe. She gasps in air and pushes herself up kneeling in front of him. She is slow to get to her feet but it doesn't matter, he's just going come at her again. Raph growls in anger, trying so hard to get free. He shakes his shoulders frantically to get away. _He's just wasting his energy._ She spits out blood from her split lip and looks over at Leo. His gaze is locked on her, feeling his eyes on her she can't help but feel empowered. Leo moves his face away from hers and nudges Raph to calm him down. Raph settles but his breathing is still harsh.

"Are you ok?" Mikey's voice, low and soft as it hits her ears. She looks over her shoulder at him and winks. Concern doesn't suit his once cheerful face. He lets out a sigh and quiets himself down.

"Now that I softened you up." He breathing ragged, adjusting his tie and smoothing out his suit. "I have a surprise for you."

"Oh, you know how I love surprises." She smirked wiping blood from her face. He nodded to a Foot Ninja who ran out of the room down a hall. Sam's ears perked up as she heard heavy feet hitting the concrete. The sounds of just his foot steps coming through the building made everyone tense. Sam finally saw him and her eyes went wide. Frankie tried to break free again kicking and flailing her body about like a rag doll.

"Let her go. It'll be fun to watch this." He said to the men holding Frankie. They let her go and she rushed over to Sam's side.

"What are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed!" Sam said to Frankie.

"I'd rather die with you then watch it on the sidelines!" She shot back. Sam narrowed her eyes at her friend and she shook her head turning her attention back to the man walking towards them. He was enormous. His arms were as big as her thigh, and he stood at least five feet taller than she did.

"There's always a Bowser." She said in a sigh and taking a stance before him. He swung his huge hand across her face sending her body through the air. It slammed against the metal railing of the stairs as she fell to the floor. She shook her head trying to focus her eyes, lifting her self up slowly getting to her feet. She noticed where she was and looked over at Leo who looked at her with concern. He tried to break free and she shook her head making him stop. He put his head down and Sam couldn't read it face, just as she lifted her head back up she noticed Frankie falling to the floor her body rolling before Raph's feet. Raph growled shaking his arms. Frankie pulled herself up using Raph as a balance. She leaned against him as he braced himself for her and she put her hand back to pat his arm in thanks as her hand landed on his sai. Her eyes widened and smiled as she turned quickly grabbing both of them from him.

"Can I borrow these? Gee thanks, you're a doll!" She said running back towards the main event. Sam followed as Frankie jumped, throwing her body on his stabbing a sai in his side making him cry in pain. She kept the sai in his skin as he tried to shake Frankie away. Her body flung from left to right, but she never let go.

"The bigger they are, the more of a pussy it is!" Sam said running and kicking the beast of a man in the chest. Frankie fell with him, making the sai go deeper into his side. His blood covered her hands as she took Raph's sai out from his flesh. He was slow to get up as Sam kicked his across the face again making his head snap back against the cement floor. "Did I say you could get up?" She growled kicked him across the face with her bloody converse again. "Didn't think so!"

Frankie spun the sai in her hand, having it rest against her forearm. Raph was impressed with everything, but the fact that she knew how to use a sai, _his sai_ made him feel something. He pushed the unwanted feeling away, but it resurfaced as she looked over at him with a small smile. Her jacket torn, her pants ripped across her thigh, blood on her hands from a fight. The look of her made his heart skip a beat.

She turned her attention away from Raph as the man in the white suit stepped closer to her and Sam. "Take him away." He said waving his hand at the disappointment. Four of his hit men grabbed dragged the limp body off the middle of the floor. A trail of blood followed it.

"You really think that was going to do anything?" Frankie scoffed.

"You're right Francis. I should have known better. You two girls are rather good at what you do. That is until there are guns involved. Which you seem to be lacking at the moment, but I'm not." He snapped his fingers and all the men around the warehouse floor cocked their loaded guns, pointing them towards Frankie and Samantha stood. They looked around at all the men. The Foot Ninja were off to the side now, where Karai was safe. Sam narrowed her eyes at they met her. "It's a real pity. I did want to torture you, but you see I have this plane to catch and this is just so much easier." Sam kept looking around, ignoring his voice. The boys and April were free. They didn't move, they'd be dead if they moved. At least that was one less thing she had to worry about. Her eyes moved over the room frantically. _Nothing_. Frankie and herself had guns on them, but two against twenty weren't good odds. Not when facing bullets. Then Sam noticed a corner of the floor where crates and boxes lay on top of one another. That was her out. She straightened her back looking at him with an even stare. He smiled and lifted his hand.


	10. Chapter 10

As it fell back to his side bullets rang out through the building. Sam grabbed Frankie, as she ran full speed behind the crates, trying to beat the bullets. As she threw her body behind her blockade a bullet clipped her knee. She grabbed it, bringing it to her chest as Frankie readied her guns. Wood chips threw through the air covering Frankie's hair with them, her wincing to see there a small space where some crates didn't meet. She pointed her gun inside the hole and fired. Yelps of pain came after and Frankie kept her finger on the trigger.

Casey laid his body over April's pushing her to the floor as soon as the bullets started. He didn't have time to pick his head up and check on Frankie or Sam. He kept moving his body on April's pushing her towards somewhere safe. He noticed Sam falling hard to the concrete floor in front of him, being shielded by wooden crates.

"C'mon guys, over here." Casey said putting an arm around April and dragging her with him to the crates. Sam kept a hold on her knee as blood gushed through her fingers and pants. Her eyes were clenched shut in pain. Frankie tried to do her best with her gun, shooting aimlessly at the men that were shooting back. Raphael pushed Leonardo over to the crates as Leo leaned himself up against the wall. His dizziness was consuming him. The poison wasn't fully out of his system and this high stressed, intense situation making him have to focus and push himself wasn't helping any. Donnie went to his side and checked his pulse. Mikey looked around for somewhere to dunk into just for a moment to check up on his brother. He looked down a hall that they were on the edge of. There was a door, he didn't know where it lead or what was behind it but it might be just the thing to make sure Leo was alright and that's all he could care about right now. He nudged Casey and pointed to the door. Casey nodded his head as he let Mikey sneak past him and April to go down the hall being unseen.

Frankie put her back to the crates ducking her head to a side where a bullet came through. She steadied her hands loading her gun and began to shoot back at the men. Sam kept pressure on her knee and looked over at Casey and April who was shaking terribly. _Poor girl._ She thought. Then she noticed Mikey was missing. Her heart dropped.

"Casey…Where's Mikey?" Leo's head popped up from being limp against the wall, his face turned from tired to alert. He let out a sigh, putting his head back against the wall as he saw Mikey pop his head out from around the corner.

Mikey motioned for them to follow him down the hallway to the abandoned room he found. Casey was the first, looking around the crates first to make sure no one saw and then taking April by the hand and coaxing her down the hall. Donnie helped Leo as they all were unseen making their way down to the door Mikey opened. Frankie covered them as Raph grabbed a hold of Sam and followed his brother's.

"Raph, you might need this." Frankie smiled sliding his sai over to him. He nodded his head in thanks and disappeared behind the corner. The bullets bounced off and fell to the floor around them as they made their way down the hall. Sam pushed herself breaking away from Raph's hold. She didn't need help, not yet. They made their way to the door and Sam shut it with her foot. She laid her back on the cement floor breathing heavily while keeping her foot braced on the metal door. Then her knee bent and she used all her strength to push it back but it gave and Frankie fell in next to her. She was bleeding now too. Her shoulder at been shot. She twisted her body next to Sam's on the floor, both of them placing their feet on the metal door and shutting it. Raph placed his back to the door, putting his weight on it.

The sounds of the bullets and screams were muffled behind the door. They must have been in an office. There was an old typewriter and dusty papers scattered around the floor. Donnie forced Leo's eyes open as his body went limp in Mikey's arms.

"His vital signs are fine. His body is reacting to something, making him drift in and out. He won't be any help for awhile." Donnie said towards the group. Raph got up from the door and sat next to his older brother. Donnie moved out of the way so Raph could have a moment with him. Frankie got up and took Raph's place on the door, putting pressure on her shoulder to stop the bleeding.

Casey walked over handing a trembling April to Donnie. He sat down next to Sam who managed to sit up right, bracing her body against the door. He ripped a piece of his shirt off and started to make a tourniquet for her knee. He smiled over at her and she smiled back.

"You always love to get me into trouble, don't ya Jones?" She whispered.

"I'm so sorry Sammy." He said softly putting his head down. She smirked and mussed his hair on his head.

"You're an idiot."

"I'm going back out there. They're going to find us either way, and I'm not going down without a fight!" Frankie announced getting to her feet. Raph looked up at her and over to Sam. Sam nodded her head getting to her feet slowly.

"We have to get out of here. It's the only way." April said looking around the room.

"They just want me. Take Leo home, get him safe. I'll be fine." Sam said looking around the room at shocked faces.

"Yeah right! You think I'm gonna just feed you to the wolves! You're outta your fuckin' head!" Frankie said as Raph stood up to dispute as well.

"She's right Sam. I'm not just gonna stand here and let you get yourself killed." Raph added.

"Me either Sammy girl." Casey said softly.

"Fine then. Donnie, you and April stay here with Leo. Mikey cover, and if anyone comes down the hall, they'll be unarmed just deal with them. Raph since you're so willing to fight, follow Frankie's lead. Casey…" She said handing him a gun. "You'll need this. Just point and shoot. It's that easy." Sam opened the door and took a deep breath. "Ready?" Frankie and Raph both nodded. Casey cocked the gun taking the safety off and nodded too.

"Be careful!" April cried. Casey smiled at her before he left the room.

"Don't worry babe. It'll be a piece of cake!" As he left the room the fake smile disappeared from his face.

Sam and Frankie walked down the hall their backs pressed against it, guns at ready. Sam nodded over to Frankie who nodded back as they turned the corner pointing their guns out in front of them making sure they were clear, they ducked behind a wall as bullets still shot at the crates. Sam smiled looking around seeing the men's focus still there. She looked above her head at the balcony she had been escorted down. She looked at Raph and nodded her head for him to come over. He nodded back and made his way over to her without being seen. She pointed up and Raph followed her finger to a balcony.

"Think you can get me up there?" She whispered. He nodded his head.

"Psh..yeah. What do you weight an ounce?" He put his hand out as she placed her foot in it, her hand on his shoulder for support. He pushed her up as she grabbed onto the metal railing, grasping it tightly and pulling herself up. She put her foot up on the lip in between two bars, lifting herself up and over the railing. Frankie watched and walked over to Raph.

"Alright Red. Let's see what you got!" She smiled as he put his hands out for her foot. He tossed her up to Sam like she was a feather and Sam pulled her up the rest of the way. Casey was next and then Raph was able to jump up himself, grabbing the bars and pulling himself up, no problem. Frankie watched him as his muscles flexed under his weight and he landed on the balcony. She raised an eyebrow and Sam nudged her with a smile.

"I know right." She said before walking away. She ducked into a small hallway, where she could still over look the men below her. Their bullets ran out as the last one that was shot echoed through the building as the metal shell bounced along the floor. He made his way over to the crates with a smile on his face waiting to see the girl's lifeless bodies behind it. He screamed in anger and Frankie giggled. Sam rolled her eyes and laid her body down on the balcony, aiming her gun. She took out one of his hit men, his body falling to the ground. Sam smirked as she took another one out, followed by a Foot Ninja right next to Karai. Karai's face looked down at the lifeless body and back at Sam.

"There!" She yelled and Sam smiled even bigger as men started to race up the stairs. Their bullets had run out, all they had now was brute strength. She'd rather that than bullets any day. She got up from the floor dusting herself off whistling for back up as they all filed behind her. Raph twisting his sais in his grasp and taking a stance next to Sam as Frankie and Casey pointed their guns.

The men yelled and ran up the stairs as they were taken out one by one. Sam finally ran out of bullets as a man was coming at her with all his force. She flipped the gun, holding the barrel and pistol whipping him across the face. He fell back and came at her as she sung it at him again smacking against his other cheek. His teeth flew out of his head as he landed hard against the railing. She kicked him in the chest and flipped his body down to the warehouse floor. Another man came at her and she ducked as his body rolled off her shoulder and she pushed him off her back sending him over the railing. She smiled as she saw Frankie do the same thing next her. She pounded her knuckles against Frankie's as they grabbed hands. They linked together close lining two guys coming at them. Sam stomped her foot down on the guys chest, and then kicked him across the face.

A guy came at Frankie and she jumped in the air smacking her boot across his face. She landed and delivered another spin kicking. He fell back as another guy came from behind him. She flipped back. As one foot came off the ground it slammed up against his chin, as her other foot followed. She landed and took a stance as he held his face. He growled in his hand as blood filled it and came at her again. She smiled kicking him in the chest and roundhouse kicking his face. He grabbed her foot as he twisted it, her body spinning in the air and landing hard against the balcony. She rolled on her back, bending her knees to get up but he was already standing over her. She smirked kicking her foot up as it came in hard contact with his groin. He doubled over in pain, as he curled in a ball on the floor coughing up blood. She got to her feet laughing at his pain, joining back in the fight.

Raph took out one Foot Ninja after the other. Moving his body and sais together as one, gracefully beating anything that came his way. Casey found a blunt object on the floor, and started using that tossing the gun aside. He was never one for bullets. The object was a piece of the railing from Raph throwing one guy against it. Casey tossed the object in front of him, beating anything that came at him.

Soon, there the four stood breathing heavily as one while men groaned or lay dead at their feet. Their bodies shook from adrenaline as smiles reached all of their faces. They all turned towards the sound of clapping through the building. Sam kept a smile on her face as he walked over to the balcony looking up at them. A few remaining Foot Ninja were left as they held out katanas to keep April and the boys back. Karai stood in the middle as she held her katana to Leo's throat. Sam rushed over to the railing grasping it. She saw Karai's blade go tighter against Leo's neck.

"This is where it gets interesting." He said crossing his arms. "I've got something you want. And all I want is you." He smiled. "Give yourself up Sam and your lover turtle and his little friends go free. Try that shit again like you did a minuet ago and they all die." His voice growled at the end. Sam put her head down and weighed her options. She started for the stairs and Casey grabbed her arm. She looked back at his sad eyes.

"Don't do this." He whispered.

"I have to. I love him."

Sam put her head down as she started to walk down the stairs. Raph's looked at Sam at those words. _"I have to. I love him."_ They rang through Raph's head. He couldn't let this happen. He knew he had it out with his brother on a daily basis and sometimes Leo made him so mad he couldn't see straight but he didn't deserve this. To lose someone like Sam, for his whole family to lose someone like Sam. There wasn't that many Foot. Karai, Sam will handle her. He grabbed Sam as she walked away from Casey.

"Tell me you have a plan." He asked his eyes on her sad face. She looked at him in question and then back towards the brother's and April. This was easy. She could handle this. _Not that many Foot left and Karai, but I'll handle Karai. Easy._ She looked back at Raph and winked. He smirked and it slowly faded so it wouldn't be seen.

She walked down the stairs and noticed her katana lay in its strap next to the stairwell. She smiled at it and remembered as her back slammed against the staircase from being sent through the air the strap slipped off her shoulder. She had no time to grab it then as she tried to help Frankie. But now, now she had time.

She jumped from the side of the stairs and grabbed it as she landed. She kept on her knees and tucked her body rolling across the floor, taking her katana from its strap and stabbing it into the man's portly belly. He hunched over in pain falling to his knees before Sam. She got up slowly as his eyes followed her. She put her foot on his shoulder and slid his body from her blade. His eyes went lifeless as he fell to the floor. She looked up at Karai as she looked down at the man's lifeless body. She looked back at Sam holding Leo's shoulder closer to her, pressing the blade to his neck again.

"If you wanted to kill him, you'd do it." Sam said walking closer to Karai. Sam kept walking towards Karai until she noticed crimson drip out behind Leo's olive skin. She stopped.

"You're killing him." Karai said in a low tone. Sam narrowed her eyes.

"He's dead." Sam said motioning towards the lifeless man on the floor. "I'm in no part of this anymore. You want your money? Fine. When the cops come and I get a reward for him I'll give it to you. Give me Leonardo!"

"This isn't about money you fool!" Karai scoffed. "Seeing him and his brothers in pain is reward enough. But you! You had to get in the way of that! You ruined this whole plan. It'll be easier just to get you out of the way!" Karai hissed throwing Leo aside and coming at Sam with her blade in one switch motion. Sam stopped Karai's blade with her own kicking Karai off her. Karai stumbled back coming at her again with a growl as Sam blocked the strike, spinning away from Karai. They circled one another before running at each other. Their grunts and growls were the only other sound besides the striking of their blades.

Frankie watched from above and had enough. She jumped down from the balcony and landed running over to the brother's and tackling a Foot Ninja to the floor. Mikey looked down at her and then back up at Raph. He smirked and turning his comment towards Donnie.

"Kinda reminds you of someone huh?" Mikey chuckled.

Frankie grabbed the katana from the Foot she tackled, flipping backwards as the two remaining Foot came at her. She smiled as they started to fight. Raph jumped over the railing to the balcony following Frankie's suit. He couldn't let her fight alone.

"Two against one isn't really nice fellas." He smirked as he blocked a katana coming at Frankie with his sai.

Mikey and Don were free and they ran over to Leo making sure he was ok. He was still out of it and beside the broken flesh on his neck, he was fine externally. But Don had no idea what was going on inside him. He needed to get Leo home and run blood samples. Mikey helped Donnie as they dragged Leo away from the fights and held his brother's body close to his.

"You have three option's Karai." Sam said pushing Karai's blade from her own.

"Threats are useless here." She hissed back.

"One." Sam said in a grunt blocking Karai's blade and pushing her away. "We walk out of here alive, as you and your flying monkeys lay on this floor dead." Karai shook her head and growled coming at Sam again. Sam flipped out of the way, landing on her knee, blocking Karai's blade with her own, as Karai put more strength down making Sam's back bend. Sam could feel her endorphins kick in as she pushed back sending Karai's body off hers. She stumbled falling to the floor as Sam hurried to her feet kicking Karai in the face. Karai rolled on the floor and jumped up to her feet swinging her blade as Sam jumped back as it came inches from slicing her stomach. Karai spin kicked her across the face, then swinging her blade at her again. Sam blocked the blade and high kicked Karai in the face. Her head snapped back as her body stumbled once more.

"Two." Sam said breathing heavier now. "You get a nice little ride with your flying monkeys too a tiny little jail cell. Have a trial which I suggest you pled insanity because let's face it, your fuckin' nuts." Sam smirked as Karai came at her again. This time Sam grabbed her wrist that held the blade twisting it as the blade fell to the ground. She pulled Karai's face into her knee, having Karai's body go limp and fall to the floor.

Karai was slow to get up wiping the blood away from her lip. Sam moved her weight from foot to foot waiting for Karai to retaliate. "And Three, I don't kill you but I break you. I break your sprit and your will to ever come looking for these brothers again. You and your Foot Ninja are done running these streets. Now get up and let me finish this." Karai glared at the women that hovered a blade inches from her face. She wouldn't be defeated. She reached into her pocket.

"You forget one thing." Karai said with a bloody smile. "I will finish what my father started. Make no mistake of that!" Her last words were faded by her disappearing act. Smoke billowed from around Sam as Karai was gone.

"Coward!" Sam yelled in the air.


	11. Chapter 11

Sam walked over to where Leo lay against Donnie's plastron. She kneeled down cupping his cheek in her hand as a small smile came to her face. "We have to get him home." She said looking at Don blinking away tears. He nodded his head as he and Mikey put one of Leo's arms around their shoulders. Casey did the same with April, hugging her body tightly to his own. Frankie began to walk with the group stopping and realizing someone was lagging behind.

"Hey, Big Red. What's the hold up?" She asked running back over to him. He stood in a daze until she nudged him a little to break him out of it. She raised an eyebrow but he shrugged it off walking past her to catch up with the others. "You alright there, big guy?" She asked walking along side him.

"Fine." He huffed staring at the ground. She stopped from his change in persona and narrowed her eyes.

"Hey I don't have to know alright. I was just tryin' to be nice!" She shot at him. He turned around and glared at her.

"No one asked you to be nice!" he shot back.

"Fine then, I won't waste my time!"

"Good, we wouldn't want you to do that would we?!" He said turning away again. She glared at him running to catch up to grabbing him by the arm. He pushed her back walking ahead.

"Fine then." She said throwing his arm back at him and getting in the van. "Jesus, how can any one tolerate him?" She hissed at Samantha. Sam ignored Frankie keeping her face to her lap where Leonardo's head was resting. She smiled down at him as she swallowed back tears and rubbed his head softly.

As soon as they walked through the liar Splinter made his way out of his room. He felt the presences of his sons and the dark cloud of unhappiness they brought with them. Sam had Leonardo's arm draped around her neck as Donnie held his other. Raphael, Frankie and Michelangelo walked behind them all of their faces having the same tired, worn down expression.

"I have been worried my sons. What has happened?"

"Karai…" Sam said softly. Splinter put his head down in silences trying to even his breathing and raised his head putting a hand on the small of Sam's back pushing her towards the stairs.

"He needs rest from these events today. The comfort of his bed will reassure him he is safe." Splinter said solemnly. Sam sighed and pulled Leo's arm tighter around her shoulder, as her and Donnie made their way to Leo's bedroom.

Raph and Mikey took a seat on the couch, Mikey not even reaching for the TV remote. Frankie stood, with her arms hugged tightly to her chest watching the others drag Leo's body to a room and shutting the door behind them.

Donnie and Sam laid Leo's unconscious body on his bed as Splinter made his way around the room, lighting candles. Sam kneeled beside Leo's bed, placing his hand in between hers rubbing her thumb across his knuckles. Donnie did his routine checking of Leo's pulse and left the room quickly going to his own. Sam kept her eyes locked on Leo's face. She pressed her lips tightly together to keep them from quivering. Splinter placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright my child. You've had an emotional day. There is no need to be strong any longer." And with that Sam put her head on Leo's bed, sobbing into the mattress. Her shoulders shook as Splinter guided her head against his chest holding it there her sobs muffling into his robe.

Donnie entered Leo's room with some needles for blood samples. He stopped as he looked at Samantha kneeling crying into his father's robe. He gave his father in a questionable look before entering the room any further thinking he should give them a minuet. Splinter smiled at his son taking a hand from Samantha's back and waving him into the room. Donnie managed a small smile back going to the other side of the bed, taking a blood sample from Leo's arm. He needed to know what was causing his brother such distress. It's not like Leo to be the weaker one, the one to get captured, the one to be lying in the bed unconscious. Raphael usually took the cake of that for the most part.

Finally the sobs stopped and Sam picked her head up from Splinter's moist robe. She wiped her eyes away and looked back at Leonardo. His peaceful face shown from the candle light bouncing along it and she felt her pain start to slowly drift away. He should be ok now. Now that she and his brother's had taken him away from that horrible place and horrible day. She knew he just needed the reassurance being safe and in his own bed. Donnie would know what had caused him to pass out soon enough with the blood sample he took. Until then, Sam would remain there until he awoke.

Donnie applied pressure to the spot where he had taken the blood sample and put a small gaze over it. Splinter smiled at his intelligent son as he rubbed Sam's shoulder softly before leaving her side.

"Sam…" Donnie said kneeling next to her. "You need some rest and an ice pack for your face. And your knee, you need stitches." He said in a concern look.

"I'll be fine Don." She said returning her look at Leo.

"Samantha." Splinter said in his stern commanding voice. "You will listen to Donatello and get assistance as well. I need a moment with my son." Sam put her head down in defeat. With a sigh she put her head down on Leo's hand kissing the top of it covering her face with her hands. Donnie helped her up as she struggled walking her out of Leo's room.

Donnie walked along side her closely as her body started to reject that fact that she was still mobile. He had to hold her arm a few times just to get her to the lab. He sat her in a chair and rolled her to his medical supplies. She held her head to the ice pack Don gave her, her thoughts never leaving Leonardo. Donnie looked up at her as he cleaned the dry blood around her knee.

"So, I just wanted to thank you." He said softly. She broke out of her thoughts and looked at him.

"What, why?" She said her voice strain and tired.

"You saved our brother. Without Leo…You kept this family together." He stuttered with his words. "And I'm… thanks." He said looking up at her with a smile. She smirked back and then hissed in pain as he dabbed a disinfectant around the wound. "Sorry."

Frankie stood in the doorway as Donnie was stitching up Sam's wound. She walked over to her leaning against the wall.

"How she coming along Donnie? Gonna make her into the million dollar women?" She joked trying to cheer her friend up.

"Not quite, but she'll be able to walk normally." Donnie said looking up at Frankie.

"So, some mission huh?" Frankie said breaking the silence putting a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Yeah. Thanks Frankie." Sam said putting her hand on Frankie's.

"No problem, I mean I would think that you'd do the same for me."

"In a heart beat." Sam smiled and then turned her head towards Donnie as he tugged too tightly on a stitch. He grimaces as she glared at him.

"Sorry." He said again. "Alright, you're all set. Just keep the ice pack on your face until the swelling goes down." He said sliding his chair over to the computer to check Leo's test results.

"Thanks Donnie." She smiled.

"Don't mention it." He smiled back. "When Leo wakes up he'd have a fit if he saw your face the way it is." Donnie said laugh joking half being serious. Sam chuckled.

"I'm going to go check on Leo. See how he's doing…" Sam said getting up as Frankie followed.

"I'm gonna stay here, until Leo wakes up." Frankie said to Sam as she started for the stairs. Sam smiled with a nod and tried to move as quickly as she could to Leo's room.

Frankie and Raph both stood in silence as Raphael sat on the couch. Mikey made his way to his room when Splinter came down from Leo's. Splinter told him he had a long day and needed his rest as well. The same thing was told to Raphael but he was in too much of a haze to absorb his father's words. Raph shook his head before standing up and walking into the dojo. Frankie followed him ignoring the fact that he might need a minuet.

He walked in the room taking out a sai and stabbing a punching bag with a grunt. His grunt turned into a growl as he jumped up kicking the bag off of its hold. Frankie raised an eyebrow to him crossing her arms.

"Ya know, you should control that anger problem Big Red." She said, he turned around abruptly eyes narrowing.

"Don't you ever get a hint?" He hissed.

"Apparently not, I was always a slow learner." She glared back.

"Not surprised there."

"Wow, ok. Fine! You want to be an asshole and treat someone who is tryin' to help you like shit be my guest! I'm done. Have fun beatin' your emotions out on somethin' else that gets in your way!" She said walking towards the door.

"I never said I wanted your help!" He yelled back. She turned and slammed the dojo door shut.

"You don't have to say it Big Red, it's written all over your fuckin' face!"

"My name is Raph!" He yells back.

"Ok, Raph." She says lowering her voice slightly, walking closer to him. "I know this is hard for you, but…"

"You don't know shit!" he shot back. "You know nothing about my family or me!"

"How do you know? Maybe we're just alike, ever think of that?"

"Psh…yeah right! How?"

"Well for starters you use anger as a way to push those who might wanna help you away. You have this tough guy attitude to mask your pain and the fact that you're really truly hurtin' and needin' someone to reach out to. Well here ya go _Raph_! I'm right fuckin' here. You're brother is hurt and you're takin' it out on a defenseless punchin' bag!" She was a step away from him now and he looked at the punching bag that lay on the floor with a gash broken against the leather. He put his head down with a sigh.

"This is all my fault." He said softly.

"How?"

"I could have…Leo and I had a fight the night he got captured. I could have stopped it, but I let my anger get the best of me. He went another way home and…I thought I heard Karai's voice, but I was too upset to care. _Care_ about my brother. If we didn't fight, if I didn't _have_ to fuckin' fight he'd be fine." He looked around the room avoiding Frankie's eyes until she put a hand on his face and made him look at her.

"You can't blame yourself for somethin' like this." Her eyes were different, something he's never seen before from a women. Besides April, but she was always mushy and saying crap like this and he thought of her like a sister not…

She leaned up and kissed him, forcing her lips against his. His emotions were overwhelming him and he grabbed a hold of her body tight to his. He could feel her doing the same against his biceps as his muscles flexed under her hands as he pushed her forward. She walked backwards until her back pressed tight against a wall, their lips never leaving one another's. She broke the kiss as their breathing quickened their bodies still tight together as they looked deeply into each other's eyes. She smirked as she felt a tingle go through her as he brought his strong hand up the curve of her body.

"I need sleep." He said softly putting his forehead to hers as he broke away from her pressed on the wall.

"Yeah, I should probably check up on Sam and see how she's doing." Raph nodded his head scratching the back of his neck nervously. She smirked to the cute embarrassed expression on his face. "See you around Big R….Raph." He smiled as he walked out of the dojo.

Mikey knocked on the door as Sam picked her head up from Leo's bed where she knelt next to.

"Can I come in?" He said his voice soft. Sam smiled and nodded her head. She didn't get up, or move her hands when Mikey kneeled next to her. He looked up at his older brother taking a deep breath in.

"He should be fine Mikey." Sam said turning her face to him. He managed a small smile before looking back up at his older brother.

"It's just hard to see your hero like this, ya know?" He said his voice never changing in that soft pitch. Sam put her head down letting go of Leo's hand wrapping her arms around Mikey's shoulders. Mikey hugged her back. They broke away from one another after a moment, Sam's eyes going back to Leo as her hand held his again. "You got it bad for him huh?" Mikey said looking at her hands around his brother's. She smiled.

"Yeah, I think I do."

"I always wanted a sister." Mikey said his voice going back to normal Mikey pitch. Sam let out a soft laugh and nudged him with her shoulder.

"You should get some rest Mike. You've had a long day."

"What about you?" He asked in a concerned tone.

"I'll be fine." She smiled. He didn't believe her but nodded his head anyway. As he left she watched the door shut taking a deep breath. She adjusted herself back on her knees in a more comfortable position.

As Mikey left the room he saw Frankie walking up the stairs. He smiled at her as she walked past him.

"How's he doing?" She asked before she walked into the room.

"He hasn't woken up yet. Sam hasn't moved. Try and get her to?" Mikey asked in a pleading tone. Frankie smirked and nodded her head.

"Will do bud." She said patting his shoulder before entering Leo's room.

The room was dead silent as Frankie saw Sam's head in the soft candle light, her fingers moving slowly over Leo's. Frankie sighed as she sat next to her putting an arm around her shoulder.

"It's funny that we both have a thing for a turtle huh?" She asked raising an eyebrow to Sam. Sam lifted her head up looking at Frankie.

"Wait…What?"

"That Raphael, he's somethin' else huh?" Sam smiled as her eyes widened in surprise.

"So, you and Raph huh?"

"We just kissed." Frankie smirked. Sam shook her head before returning her eyes on Leo.

"Is he nice?" Frankie asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes. He's amazing." Sam said softly. Frankie smiled. She stood up patting Sam's shoulder.

"Try and get some rest huh? You need it after all this."

"I'll be fine." She said keeping her eyes on Leo.

"I know you will. He'll be here when you come back Sammy. C'mon." Frankie said trying to coax her out of Leo's presence.

"I'm not leaving. Not until he wakes." Her voice stubborn. Frankie knew she wasn't going to get her to leave. She sighed in defeat.

"Alright. I'll be downstairs if you change your mind." Sam heard the door close behind her as she rested her chin against the mattress watching her thumb graze over Leo's olive skin.

She woke up in the same position that she must have drifted off in. She looked up at Leo in anticipation to see his beautiful brown eyes staring back at her. As she suspected his eyes were still shut off by sleep. She moved her hand off his as her shoulder resisted, making her hiss in pain at the movement. She grabbed her shoulder trying to massage out the knots. She finally gave in and Frankie's words of him being there when she went back were becoming more and truer by the second. Her body was resisting everything as she tried to move. She needed something to eat and her mouth felt like she shoved cotton balls inside it. She tried to get off her knees but had the memory or being shot slam through her head as the shooting pain ran up her leg as she put pressure on it. She hobbled to her feet using Leo's bed as support. She clenched her eyes tight, holding her knee as she stood up.

"That was a bad idea." She said softly to herself. She stood upright looking at Leo's sleeping face before turning to hobble to the door. Her bones in her body cracked echoing through the silences of the room. She made it to the door, turning the handle slowly trying to make little noise as possible.

"S…Sam?" A deep sleepy voice said from behind her. She looked back at the bed and forgot her pain rushing to its side.

"Leo!" She said cupping his cheek. He smiled lifting a hand to her face doing the same. "Are you alright?"

"Little sore, I'll live." He smiled but faded quickly as he saw her bruised face. Her lip was swollen as he dragged a finger slowly over it. "I promise I'll make this right." He said with a frown.

"You shouldn't have to make anything right Leo, this is my fault."

"This was not your fault." He said sitting up to look at her evenly.

"You were right. I brought your family into this whole mess and now you're sick because of me. Because of whom I was. I didn't ask for any of this Leo and I'm so sorry that…" He pulled her body into his as she started to cry in her hands. "I wanted to start over and I couldn't even do that. It followed me like a shadow and brought something I cared deeply about into it."

"We'll find him, and we'll kill him." He said softly in her ear trying to calm her down.

"I killed him." She said pulling away from his embrace. He nodded his head in approval.

"And Karai?"

"She ran before I could. I wouldn't have killed her. Not when she has so much history with you and your brothers. I couldn't bring myself to do something I know isn't my place."

"Thank you." Leo said softly. She smiled, wiping away tears. She put her head down on his shoulder kissing it softly. He rested his hand on the back of her head, running his fingers slowly through her hair. She pulled her knees up on the bed, laying her body down next to his. He moved over a little to give her room and kissed her forehead.

"I was so worried about you." She said her face still buried in his neck. He smiled moving her face so he could look at her.

"Me? I had to watch you get beaten and didn't even have the strength to move. I was infuriated!"

"I didn't want you to see that…" She said looking away from him.

"You're amazing you know that." She looked back towards him with a frown.

"What?"

"You were beaten, shot, and emotionally broken and all you can think about is me?" He said with a surprised look on his face. She smiled with a soft laugh to herself.

"I can't help it. You mean a lot to me Leo." She said brining her eyes slowly to meet his. He looked back at her as his expression slowly faded to realization of how she really felt about him. He let out a breath trying to find words, something but had nothing to help him in this situation. He's never experienced this before, a girl feeling something towards him. A beautiful girl at that. Sure, April was like a sister but Sam wasn't April. He shared a moment with her before in her bed that seems like a life time ago. He shared deep emotions with her and didn't think she could ever feel the same about him. He was a turtle, she was a human. It wasn't something you see in the movies. He met her face as a smile was upon it. She was bruised and beaten, but never looked more beautiful. The candle light shinning off her skin made his heart melt.

"I don't exactly have a lot in common with normal guys." She said looking up at him as her head faced downward. "I live a life that is complicated to say the least. Men, don't understand it. If anything their intimidated by it, and by me. For some reason the fact that I can take them and fight for myself isn't endearing. Weird huh?" She chuckled Leo did as well but kept silent. "You understand me. I don't have to be someone else with you. I don't have to play this ideal "normal" girl I can be me and feel comfortable. You make me feel like myself, no one not even my family has ever been able to do that for the longest time Leonardo." He looked at her as she used his full name.

She leaned in towards him and kissed him. He took a breath in as he wrapped his strong arms around her back, pulling her in to him. She moved in to his pull and straddled his lap as he put his head back on the headboard. Her knee throbbed but she ignored it by the pleasure being sent through her body by his touch and his kiss. She pulled away and looked at him as he ran the back of his hand slowly down her soft skin. His eyes looked into hers.

"I'm glad you're ok." She said softly.

"Right now, if you wanted to I could fly." He said as she slid off his body, lying next to him. She smiled and kissed his neck as his arms wrapped tightly around her.


	12. Chapter 12

Raphael tossed and turned in his bed. His bed sheets were in a ball at his feet as he tossed his body violently back on his shell. He looked up at his ceiling trying to calm his thoughts but they continued to shout back at him. His guilt was eating away at him. The words he screamed at his brother from atop of New York City that night sent a shiver up his spine. He needed to speak with his older brother.

Sam tried to groan in discomfort but her mouth was too dry to do anything but breathe. She opened eyes as she focused on a beautiful shade of green. Looking up she saw the slow rise and fall of his chest as he slept. She smiled to the feeling of his arms wrapped around her. Gentle but strong. The feeling she had that night he fell asleep in her bed consumed her and she ignored her grumbling stomach. She ignored her lack of salvia and the fact that she was border dehydrated. She needed him. She needed to be there with him.

"Go get something to eat." She heard his tired voice say. She sighed and shook her head. "Yes. You're stomach is keeping me up." He joked, coughing after he let out a chuckle. She whimpered rolling her body closer to his, putting her face in his neck. She felt him smile and she kissed his neck softly closing her lips against his sensitive skin. He shifted to the new feeling he got that ran through him as she did this. Pushing herself up from his bed she looked down at him as he opened one eye and smiled at her. She managed a smile back sliding off his bed and walking out of his room.

As she closed the door slowly she noticed Raphael walking towards her. He looked up surprised to see her and stopped going for Leo's door. She smiled at him trying to work up the spit in her mouth to form words.

"Hey." She managed putting her hand to her throat.

"Is he up?" He asked not moving.

"Yeah. I think so. My stomach woke him up I think." She smiled. He nodded his head without a change of expression. She cleared her throat and let go of Leonardo's door handle and started for the stairs.

"Uh…Sam?" Raph said as she took the first step down. She turned and smiled.

"Yeah Raph?"

"I just wanted. To ya know, um…"

"You're welcome Raphael." She smiled and walked down stairs. He put his head down as his eyes stopped at Leonardo's door handle. The metal knob mocked him, tormented him with a distorted image of himself on it. He grasped it tightly taking a deep breath and turning it slowly. It creaked open as the candle lit room was silent. It smelt similar to Master Splinter's room suddenly bringing the tension in Raph's shoulders down.

"Sam, go get something to eat please. You're just going to hurt yourself…" Leo turned his head opening his eyes seeing Raphael with his arms crossed tight against his plastron. "Oh, uh…Hey Raph." He said sitting up.

"Hey…Leo." He said avoiding his brother's eyes.

"What's up?" He asked returning his brother's body language. Raphael's grip on his forearm tightened as his looked at his brother's face. It was beaten and bruised, along with his arms and legs. He hated seeing this in any of his brother's but Leo, it hit him differently. He took a step closer watching the flicker of a candle dance across his wall.

"Can't sleep." He said finally after a moment of silence.

"Why's that?"

"Gee, I don't know Leo, maybe because this is all my fault!" Raph shot back at his placid brother.

"Raph…"

"No Leo! You're not going to throw your psychoanalysis bullshit in my face! You're gonna sit and listen because really that's all you can do." Raph put his head down and tried to regain himself. _Yelling isn't a good way to apologize_.

He sighed and looked back at his brother's face. He had that same stern expression on it, like at any minuet he was going to get from his bed and stand inches away from Raph's face with his pointed finger in a scolding. But, he just sat and listened.

"You…" He took another breath. "I heard voices that night on the roof. I ignored them. I don't know why? I think somethin' inside of me wanted you to get hurt, fight for yourself. Not like this, what they did was too far. I would I'd go and take care of 'em for you but Sam already handle that." Leo smiled at that putting his head down to hide it slightly.

"I don't think you wanted me to get hurt Raph." Leo said softly.

"I don't know what I thought. I was so mad at you. At the fact that Sam just forgave you and…And you…She picked you. I was so mad at both of you! You treated her like shit for those weeks she was here. You went out of your way to ignore her, and yet you still went to her apartment and she forgave you just like that. I wanted to be the one that went there, I wanted to be the one to…I was jealous. You were right, which made it worse. But, then that morning when I saw her and her face when she heard that you were missing. She was truly scared for you." Raph self consciously sat next to his brother as Leo leaned in a little towards him. He didn't dare place a hand on his shell or shoulder, but just let him speak. If Raph wanted contact Raph would know he wouldn't get denied an embrace.

"I don't know why she chose me Raph." Leo said softly, putting his head down embarrassed to share a personal part of his life with his brother. "She's so beautiful, and strong. She's so passionate about those things she loves and cares about. She's everything that any man would be more than lucky to have. So believe me Raph, I have no idea why she wants anything to do with me." Leo said letting out a nervous laugh.

"I do!" Raph chuckled.

"What?"

"You just explained you." He said in a point blank tone.

"No…I'm different."

"You care about your brothers."

"Well, yes but…"

"You are passionate about fighting for those who are in need of help and protection."

"Well, we're trained too do…"

"You're like the same person, Leo."

"Yeah, but you do those things too Raph."

"Yeah, but you two like clicked or somethin'. So you're gonna tell me you don't see it?"

"Of course I see it. I just…"

"Then except it man. Are you gonna let somethin' as great as Sam get messed up just because you're self conscious? Apparently she don't have a problem with it. So maybe you shouldn't either." Leo looked at his brother with a look of question.

"Who are you and what did you do with Raphael?" Raph chuckled and nudged his brother's shoulder. Leo grabbed it instantly not showing the pain in his face.

"C'mon we can't have a serious conversation? You need someone to talk to about this kinda shit. Who you gonna ask, Mikey?" Leo chuckled.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

"And besides. I might need advice on this subject in the near future and I sure as hell ain't going to Casey." Leo looked up at his brother raising an eye ridge.

"Really?"

"Frankie. That girl that helped us saved you. She kissed me in the dojo." He said with a straight face trying to mask the smile within him. Leo punched his brother's shoulder lightly.

"Nice man!"

"Nothin' big or nothin'. But, what are the odds?"

"Ha, yeah. Tell me about it." They both let their laughs fade as they sat in silence for awhile. Raphael fumbled with his hands in his lap and rolled his eyes at his self conflict in his head.

"Leo. I'm sorry." Raph finally said going back to the dancing candle light on his walls in front of him.

"Raph, this wasn't…"

"Just tell me I'm forgiven, will ya?" Raph said looking towards his brother. Leo smiled and nodded his head.

"You're forgiven bro." He lifted his hand up as Raph did the same, their knuckles pounding together lightly. They heard a light knock on the door as Sam opened it slightly popping her head in.

"Is it ok to come in? Are there things being thrown? Should I duck?" Leo let out a laugh as Raph got up from the bed. He looked down at his brother and Leo smirked nodding his head as they're unspoken agreement was settled.

"_So we're good?_"

"_You're good._" Raphael smiled knowing that's what Leo's smirk meant as he started for the door. Just as he went to open it Frankie burst in.

"Sorry to interrupted. But, Sammy some Jordon guy keeps callin' you?" Raph shot a glare over at Sam as Sam's eyes looked like she was searching a file bank inside her head.

"I don't know a….Oh…Oh my god!" She pushed passed Frankie and ran down stairs.

"Ooook…Then." Frankie said crossing her arms. "So. How are you doin' there tough guy?" She said walking in the room towards Leo. Leo smiled and nodded his head.

"Good. I'm feeling ninety five percent better."

"Not like ninety two, or ninety four?" Frankie said in a smart ass comment. Raph let out a soft chuckle and she looked over at him with a smile. They room fell silent again and Frankie moved uncomfortable in the awkward silence. "So…"

"So, I don't even know you. You save my life and I know you're Samantha's friend, but that's really it." Leo said questioning the red headed beauty. Her eyes widened and she placed her hands in the back of her jean pockets as her shifted nervously. Raph looked at her as the curves of his mouth played at a smile but he forced it away. He was never one for using words such as cute or adorable. He'd rather get his throat cut with his own sais than have those words ever leave his lips in mixed company. But, the way she played with her back pockets out of nervousness, the way she popped her hip out to one side as she stood was just that. Adorable, cute. He bit back another smile as she started to speak.

"Well, I've worked with Sammy for years now. She taught me pretty much everythin' I know. I worked out in Chicago before I went to work with the same branch she was in. I was born and raised in Boston though." She said in a smile remembering her years in the beautiful New England state.

"That explains the accent." Leo raised an eye ridge.

"Ha, yeah…Kinda sneaks up on ya I guess?" She said fidgeting again.

"So how'd you get involved with the government?"

"Kinda fell into like Sammy. Except mine was a little more on the side of goin' to juvie" She said putting her head down in shame.

"How'd that happen?" Raph spoke up.

"Well, my dad. He taught me how to fix cars and stuff." She said in her dropping the 'r' accent. "Just, some of the cars he fixed weren't always his. He took me out on a lot of jobs and I got arrested. He's in jail still I think? But, he wasn't the greatest guy anyway."

"That's horrible." Leo said in concern.

"Yeah. They shouldn't of put you in jail just for your father's crummy job." Raph said stepping in closer to her. She smiled and put a hand on his arms relaxing them from being crossed tightly to his plastron. He dropped them at her touch. Leo smirked knowing the expression on Raph's face.

"I used to get into a lot of fights with other girls. One day these group of guys in black business suits sat me in an interrogation room. First they were tryin' to get shit out of me about my dad. I didn't know anythin' about him by then. It was like a year since I last saw him. But they kept goin' on with it. Then at the end they said I handled myself well and didn't show any pain when they slapped me to get an answer. They asked if I wanted a job and a free ticket out of that hell hole. So I took it."

"How old were you?"

"17. I woulda been stuck there a whole nother year."

"You girls lived some pretty interesting lives." Leo said sinking back against his bed with a yawn. Frankie looked at Raph and nudged him.

"We'll let you get back to sleep Leo." He said as his brother nodded his head.

"Thanks guys. I'll see you in the morning. Donnie might be able to let me get out of bed."

"You know Don, he'll have to do at least four more tests before you can even put your feet on the floor." Raph smirked. Leo chuckled and closed his eyes.

"Night bro. You too Frankie.

"Night Leo." They both said as Frankie opened the door. Raph placed his hand on the small of her back guiding her out into the hall way. She didn't brush him away but just let his hand stay there. She stopped moving in front of him as he almost pressed his body into hers but moved out of the way right before. They looked at one another for a moment before she fidgeted nervously again.

"So. Which ones yours?" She said looking down the line of rooms.

"Oh, this one." He said pointing behind him still facing her. She smiled.

"Can I see?" He looked behind him to break an awkward eye contact and shot his gaze back at her. He looked at her in shock and tried to cool himself.

"Uh…Yeah, if you want?"

"Why not? It'll be nice to see the room behind the man." She walked past him and he followed stopping at the word she used. _Man?_ He said in his head. He caught up to her as she waited for him at his door. He opened it for her as she walked in.

She lingered in the doorway before stepping inside. There wasn't much to it as she thought. There was a punching bag in the corner his bed in another. A small CD player on the floor with CDs spread across the floor with a big duffle bag next to his nightstand that had an alarm clock. She knelt down next to the CDs and examined them. Flipping them over and reading the songs on the back.

"Good choice in music Big Red. I mean Raph. Sorry." She said looking up at him as he stood looking over her shoulder. He smirked.

"It's cool." He said walking away from her and lying on his bed. She smiled as he put his hands behind his head, his biceps flexing as he bent his arms. She self consciously bit her lip and turned back towards the CDs shaking her head. She took a breath and got up from the floor walking over to his bed. He looked over at her in a questionable look.

"You gonna move over or make me stand here?" She said crossing her arms. He still looked up at her like she was speaking Spanish. She rolled her eyes and got on his bed laying her body half on his half on the small space he left. He shifted under her making room as his arm slide comfortable around her. "This is much better than the couch." She smiled putting her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, that thing is a piece of junk."

"My back thanks you." She nodded. He smirked as she slide her body slightly closer to his, her knee touching his as she bent it. His breathing started to quicken as she leaned up from the bed and looked at him. His eyes moved over hers as she smiled above him, her hair moving into her face. He hesitated to move it but couldn't resist as he lifted his hand up slowly gliding the back of his fingers against her cheek, tucking the hair behind her ear. She turned her face, so he cupped it in his palm as she closed her eyes, her soft lips opening against his palm. He swallowed hard as she glided her lip down to his wrist and kissing that, as her eyes opened staying on his. They were beautiful icy blue that ripped into the very last inch of his soul. She laid her body on his plastron as she kissed his cheek.

"W…" He cleared his throat from the shock that consumed it. "What was that for?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"It's against the law to kiss you?" Her voice was different. It was soft, but smoky and dangerous. She leaned down again, pressing her lips to his. He closed his eyes, putting his hand from the small of her back to the back of her head. Her soft, thick hair getting tangled in between his fingers as she moved her hips on his body. She kissed him with more passion and something different than before. Before she was filled with adrenaline and excitement now it was slow and soft.

Her tongue played past her lips as she opened her mouth. He didn't know how to react at first, but noticed how she was moving it and did the same against hers. He felt her arms move up his body on his pillow as she gripped the pillow case. He must have done something right.

She wanted to moan, let something out. The sexual frustration inside her was driving her insane. She felt the inside of her thighs burn as he let the tops of his fingers move the hair from her neck as he gripped it in his hand. They graced across her sensitive skin softly making her body cover in goose bumps. She wouldn't. She had too much respect for Raphael and his brother's to do something she knew he wasn't ready for. She finally pulled away as her breath sounded like she just ran a marathon.

"Jesus…" She said looking at him. He got worried and looked back at her.

"What…did I…"

"No, just. Wow…I've kissed plenty in my day, but my goodness. That was intense." She smirked. She slid off his body and he instantly missed her. Her chest rose and fell as she stared up at his ceiling. "I don't know what it is about you Raph but I'm just drawn to you." She turned on her side so she could look at his face. He turned his head to return the stare. "I know nothin' about you, but there's just somethin' that makes me want to know everythin'. Anythin' you're willin' to tell me, because I'm sure you're such the open type." She said in a sarcastic tone. He smirked letting out a soft laugh.

"Ya know before when I said my name was Raph. I was just upset about Leo. I kinda miss you callin' me _that._" He smirked returning his eyes to hers. She smiled back.

"Alright Big Red." She said putting her head back down on his shoulder.


	13. Chapter 13

Samantha paced back and forth while her cell phone pressed against her ear. She saw all the missed calls, twelve. There had to be something wrong. She tried calling Jordon again, but there wasn't an answer.

Mikey watched her go back and forth in front of him as he sat on the edge of the couch, his video game on pause. He slept already for long enough. It's been almost two days since they came back from that warehouse. No one slept that first night, except for him. Splinter's orders. He didn't want to, but his father, his master was right. He couldn't keep his eyes open for much longer. Now Donnie and he were the only ones up and playing video games was the only way to keep his mind off of worrying over Leo.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sammy."

"HEY! That's what you say is hey?! Are you kidding me Jordon? Not only is it one in the morning but you also called my cell phone twelve times and all you can say is hey?!" Mikey looked up at her as she screamed into the phone that was attached to the side of her head. He sank back into the couch freezing instantly. She sounded so much like Leo when he yelled at Mikey for something. It was scary.

"Calm down…"

"No, I will not calm down Jordon Iris!" Don poked his head out from his lab and narrowed his eyes in question to Samantha's yelling match with her cell phone. Mikey looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. Curiosity won over Donnie's patience or lack there of for Leo's test results to finalize. He got up and stood next to the couch his head following with Mikey's as he watched the women before them pace out of anger.

"Why did you call me so many times? Is Emma alright? Is mom ok?"

"We're fine. All of us are fine. I called because I have good news."

"Good news? You couldn't just leave me a voicemail?"

"Well, I'd rather not even do this over the phone but you're always living somewhere different. Where are you?"

"Friend's house."

"What friend?"

"You don't know him."

"It's a _him_?"

"Shut up Jordon and tell me what the good news is?"

"Are you gonna keep giving me attitude because if you are I'd rather just not tell you altogether and hang up."

"Jordon!"

"Ok, ok. I got into Harvard."

"You….What?! Really?! Harvard! You got into Harvard! Oh my god Jelly Bean that's so awesome! I'm so proud of you!"

"Harvard? Who got into Harvard?" Donnie asked walking over to Sam. She covered his mouth.

"Who was that?"

"No one…Or..uh..,My friend." Sam stuttered narrowing her eyes at Donnie. He backed away and sat on the couch next to Mikey.

"Did you tell her?" Another voice from the other end said.

"Emma?"

"Hey Sammy!"

"Hey Em, I haven't heard your voice in forever. How are you?"

"Good. Better, now that I broke up with that jerk Tom. You know he was cheating on me?"

"No, I didn't know that. I'm sorry munchkin."

"Yeah. So I'm staying with Jordon until I can find a new place."

"Where are you living?" Jordon said with a slight tone of concern.

"Oh, New York."

"What?!" Both yelled into their phones. Samantha had to take her phone away from her ear.

"You're in New York and you didn't tell us! Have you seen Casey yet?" Emma started.

"Samantha I could have told you face to face if you answered your damn phone!" Jordon added.

"Girls, I am home because…"

"Did you tell mom?" Jordon said.

"Not yet…"

"You didn't tell mom!?" Emma gasped in shock. "She's gonna be so pissed at you…"

"No she's not. I just got back a couple days ago and a lot of things…"

"Came up? That's always your excuse Sam."

"This time it's true. I'm staying with a friend because he got hurt while…" She took a breath and shook her head. "I'm just staying with him until he feels better. I'll be here, and I'll have my cell phone. I can wait to call mom when I get back home."

"Do you want me to tell her your back?" Jordon asked.

"No! I'll do it."

"Ok, you're a big girl, you can handle that."

"Exactly."

"So, this friend, does he have any brothers?" Emma giggled.

"Yeah actually."

"Really?" Emma said. Sam smiled looking over at Donnie and Mikey who looked back with a nervous smile. She couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah. Mikey the youngest, he actually reminds me of you Emma." Mikey's perked up at his name and frowned in confusion towards what Sam was saying about him.

"Is he cute?"

"Well he's my friend's brother, so yes. When have you known me to like unattractive guys?"

"So you like this friend?" Jordon asked.

"Yes. He's…yeah. I like him." Sam got up from the arm of the couch she sat on and walked into the dojo.

"What's he look like?" Emma asked. Sam searched her thoughts trying to explain Leonardo to her sister's. She closed the dojo doors behind her, pressing her back to them.

"He's um…Tall. Beautiful brown eyes. Muscular, really nice voice." There was silence waiting for their sister to go on about his hair or body type but just stopped.

"That's it?" Jordon asked.

"Well, all that matters in appearance."

"He's ugly huh?" Emma said trying to get the truth out of her sister.

"No! He has a beautiful personality and we have a lot of things in common and I can just be with him and everything seems to like melt together. Like we're the only two people in the room. It's like I can stand close to him and feel his heart beat in time with him. It's kinda creepy."

"Ok, so what you're describing doesn't sound like you just _like_ him Sammy."

"You've got it baaaddd." Emma added. Jordon laughed. "How long has it been since you had a boyfriend?"

"Um… Well." Sam tired to remember. She had been in this business for so long she couldn't have boyfriends, she didn't _want_ boyfriends. The last one she could remember was a friend of Casey's, senior year of High School. His name was Jake. He was about the same height was she was, maybe an inch or two taller. She could remember sitting in his garage and listening to his band play. His long blonde hair sung in his face as he head banged to the drums behind him. His fingers dancing along the guitar cords as his raspy voice sang out lyrics that came from the very last inch of his heart. He was amazing at that. She loved him, but then she found out those lyrics were just about her, but many other girls as well. That's one of the core reasons she wanted to leave for California. She needed to get away from the heart break, thinking if she ran far enough away the pain wouldn't follow. Then she found her true calling in life and all the memories of him faded.

She's had experiences with men since then. Men she worked with. Nothing serious, a few one night stands here and there. But she'd always kick them out after. There was nothing left for her to give to them, she couldn't love. She didn't want to. She wanted to focus on missions and killing these horrible people.

"Earth to Sam…Are you still there? Did you lose service?" Emma said in drawn out words.

"Yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking. Um, Jake I think was my last real boyfriend."

"What about that Andy guy?" Emma asked.

"Andy was too cocky for me. That only lasted a couple days."

"What's this_friend's_ name?" Jordon asked.

"Leonardo."

"That's an unusual name."

"Like Dicaprio? Hot. Does he have a Boston accent like in the Departed?" Emma joked in her excited voice. Sam chuckled at her little sister.

"No, he just has a nice voice."

"Not a New York accent I hope? Those are horrible." Jordon asked.

"No, that's Raph. His other brother's don't either come to think about it. And they all lived here their whole lives."

"How many brother's does he have?" Jordon asked.

"Three."

"Raph? What kinda name is that?" Emma asked

"Raphael Sanzio. Like the Renaissances painter. As well as Leonardo Da Vinci." Jordon added.

"And that's why she goes to Harvard and I got to BU." Emma said. Jordon laughed as did Samantha.

"I am really proud of you Jelly Bean." Samantha said in a sincere voice. Jordon smiled, even though she couldn't see it.

"Thanks Sammy."

"And if you ever need money, just call me. Don't hesitate to ask. You too Emma."

"We won't."

"Good. Now, get some sleep. I have to go check on my friend."

"You mean your friend that makes your heart beat in time with his every time you're close?" Emma joked in a sing song voice. Sam rolled her eyes.

"I love you both. Good-night."

"Night _mom_." Emma joked. Jordon giggled.

"Night Sammy." She added.

"Night." Samantha clapped her cell phone shut and couldn't take the smile from her face. She got up with a sigh and went into the main room as she saw Mikey run and jump onto the couch. "You're getting slow Michelangelo." Sam said looking at him out of the corner of her eye. She smirked as he looked down embarrassed.

"Who were you talking to?" Donnie asked.

"My sisters."

"One of your sisters got into Harvard?" He asked not being able to hide the excitement in his voice.

"Yeah. She's studying biology I think? And physics? I forget. But either way she was always way smarter than I was." Donnie couldn't help but blush. "I have pictures of them in my apartment. When Leo's feeling better you guys can come over. After spending some much time here with you guys I actually miss my big family." Sam said with a smile putting a hand on Mikey's shoulder. She yawned and stretched as her spine cracked.

"Rough night?" Mikey asked raising an eye ridge in concern.

"Ha. Yeah, something to that effect." She patted his shoulder.

"You want the couch?"

"No, actually. I'm gonna go check on Leo."

"He'll be fine Sam. The test results came back while you were on the phone with your sisters. The poison is 98.9 percent out of his body. He'll be able to train tomorrow. I'm sure he'll be happy about that."

"Yeah me too." She playfully rubbed Mikey's head before turning for the stairs.

"Night guys."

"Night." They both said as Mikey put his game back on and Don went back to his lab. Sam smiled as she walked up the stairs. She did miss her big family and living any where but here, underneath the streets of New York City. In this beautiful home these boys and their father made for themselves. To be any where else but Leonardo's bed felt wrong. She was apart of their family now, but she was a human. She was meant to be topside with other people and not shut out from civilization. But they weren't either, not that they really were. That thought lingered there for a moment. She narrowed her eyes on Leo's door handle before turning her gaze down the hall at Raphael's. She bit her lip and walked over to the door and knocked on it lightly. No answer came. She frowned and turned the door handle slowly opening it a crack to see if she heard anything. There was nothing but the creak of the door. She opened the door noticing the sheets in his bed were rolled up at the end but no one laid in it. She closed the door with a look of confusion. _Where the hell did they go?_


	14. Chapter 14

Frankie jumped from roof top to roof top trying to keep up with this black figure ahead of her. They were fast and didn't have any problem making it across large gaps in between buildings. Frankie did. She'd grunt as her body slammed hard against the edge of a roof, pulling with all her strength to make it up and over. Never losing sight of the figure in front of her.

She left the lair as every one was sleeping early this evening. She woke up expecting to see Raphael sleeping next to her but saw nothing but emptiness beside her. She felt, she didn't know what she felt. Angry? Betrayed? Lonely? She couldn't place it, or understand why she had a need to follow him.

He lost her in the sewers trying to dunk into tunnels as he'd look behind him to see if anyone was following. She turned a corner and saw nothing, she ran as her splashing steps echoed through the sewers. She turned around hearing a manhole cover slide shut. She saw one not far from where she stood and climbed the latter making her way to the surface. When she emerged she didn't see Raphael anywhere, but saw a large figure over head leaping to another roof top. Her curiosity got away with her. If it was a Foot she'd have a reason to start a fight. She needed a fight. She hated being kept up for days on end waiting on someone to heal. Wasn't Leo's fault, poor kid. But, Sam could handle taking care of him. Frankie just felt out of place and in the way.

Training in the dojo with Raphael was boring. He always went easy on her she needed someone to not take it so easy with her. Then when they did go to his room, he was off like something wasn't right. She tried to be flirty, cute, make the first move even but he'd always wonder what another one of his brothers were doing or went to go check up on Leo. Tonight was different. She'd always find him on the couch asleep, but instead she found Mikey. She was angry, aggregated sexually and mentally. Where the hell was he going? What was he doing, and why the hell wasn't she doing it with him?

She growled in frustration as she landed hard on another roof, knocking her knee cap against the edge. She ignored the pain and got to her feet taking off in a mad dash to keep up with the figure. The she could see him stop and crouch down on an edge two roof tops away. He just stood there, waiting. Waiting for her? Maybe she wasn't being as stealthy as she thought. Oh well, she wanted to fight anyways.

She walked up behind him and he lifted his head slightly and she stopped breathing, moving. He looked back out in the endless sea of lights and buildings that was New York City. She smirked and cleared her throat. He jumped up turning before her, dropping chains that were in his metal suit to the concrete beside him.

"Well, well, well." She said in a challenging tone sizing him up. "What do we have here, Iron man? The incredible man of steal? Or wait I got it, just some loser in a suit trying to get his jollies from causing havoc on the innocent?" He watched her walk back and forth before him as she never took her eyes off his dark lens. He sighed in his helmet but kept silent. She wouldn't understand. Probably just judge him or think it was stupid. No one really understood why he did it. Leo just scolded him for it instead of joining him, not giving him any other choice than to stop. He couldn't watch this City be thrown to the wolfs when he knew damn well he could do something about it.

"Let's just skip the intros here buddy and get to the ass whoppin'. You could be nice, honestly I don't give a shit. I'm here to fight my frustration out and you seem to be lucky winner number seven so come on down!" She took a stance before him as he didn't move. She rolled her eyes coming back him as he stepped back out of the way. She knocked against the edge of the roof slamming her fists down against it. She went at him again and this time made contact. She sent a strong and hard roundhouse kick to his helmet, dropping to her knee and kicking his legs out from underneath him. He couldn't help but smirk in his helmet as he landed on his back. Their sparring sessions were working. He lifted his legs kicking himself from his back to his feet and took a stance before her. She mimicked his actions.

"You're good." He said trying to mask his voice. She glared at him and stopped. That voice was too familiar.

"What?" She said stepping out of her stance and walking closer to him. He cleared his throat trying harder to make his voice sound different.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" He tried to remember how Leonardo spoke and took his fearless leader tone. He scared himself at how similar he sounded to his older brother.

"My boyfriend." She said looking at him in question. He stopped and stood up straight. _Boyfriend?_ He felt his face burn up with something he'd never experienced before her. It was the same feeling he got in his chest the first time they kissed. It was the same feeling he got whenever he caught the sent of her hair, her skin.

"Must be a good trainer?" He continued after clearing his voice from his normal one and taking over Leo's.

"Amazing, and the way he kisses. Ah…Makes my heart throb and tingles sent throughout my whole body." She said with a smirk moving close enough that she could reach out and touch the fabric of his suit. He was memorized by her lips, the way they moved. They way she bit her bottom one when she explained how she felt when he did kiss her.

"Really?" He said trying to mask his voice again, but failing miserably.

"Oh yeah." She smirked as she glided a hand down his arm.

"Do you think he'd like it if he saw you this close to another guy?"

"He'd kill them." She said in that dangerous voice he loved so much. He took a breath and tried to calm himself but all he could think about was her, the way she looked, the way her skin glistened with sweat in the moonlight. He kept having his hands twitch to the thought of slamming her against the shed they were next to and just…He didn't know what.

"What about you? He wouldn't be mad at you?"

"I wouldn't ever be this close to another guy Big Red. Only you." He smirked ignoring the fact that she found out. She had to of known, she had to of caught on. "Ya know, this suit is kinda sexy." She said taking a step back to take him all in.

"That's not exactly what I was goin' for."

"Ha, yeah I bet. But it's what I was." She said looking up at him. He removed his helmet and placed it on the ground next to him. "Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice instantly changing from seductive to concern. "And when I wanted to sleep in your bed, you slept on the couch instead?" He winced to the question hoping she wouldn't bring it up. "I mean I understand I'm a girl and all that but you had to of known that I like you and wasn't doin' it to sleep by myself. I liked havin' you next to me. I liked the way…" She sighed and put her head down as her emotions got the best of her. There was a space between them now as a cold breeze rushed through the roof tops. Her beautiful dark red hair blew off her neck as it wisped next to her face. She hugged her arms tight around her chest, as the moonlight shown her expressions, her eyes sad and betrayed. Raphael put his head down not knowing what to say. He's never had to be in this kind of situation before.

"Did we just have our first fight?" He asked stepping in towards her as her expression softened. A small smile played at her lips.

"Yeah, I think so Big Red."

"I didn't know how to react with you there, in the same bed with me. That's never happened before, I'm not…It's not somethin' I'm used to."

"I figured as much." He sighed and closed the space between them completely as another breeze made her body shiver. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body into his. "So what's the deal with this anyways?" She said leaning back and gesturing towards his suit.

"It's the only way I can go out and fight, without being seen as, well a turtle." She smiled but then her eyes darted towards his helmet as a police report was being sent through it. Raph picked it up, placing it over his head listening as Frankie leaned in closer trying to hear for herself.

"That's a robbery. No units available? Are you kiddin' me?" She said Raph nodded his head.

"That happens a lot. Hence, why I wear this. It's happenin' three blocks from here. Go back to the lair, I'll be there lata, ok?"

"Hell no! I need to work out some frustration. I'm goin'."

"The hell you are."

"Psh, Raph please. You and I both know I can handle myself and besides you need someone to help you."

"Fine, but stay close!" He warned before taking off to another roof. She followed pushing herself to keep up with him. She was never the fastest at what she did. She was the muscle or the guns. Sammy took the cake with speed.

They crouched down on a roof top seeing four men come out of the darkness or an alleyway. Raphael dropped down, not waiting for Frankie. She tired to tell him to stop but it was too late, he disappeared into the darkness behind the four emerging creeps. There was a yelp as Frankie brought her attention back to the group of men. One guy slid on his stomach into the darkness of the alleyway as Raphael emerged taking down another. He kicked the gun out of the guy's hand as the shot rang out through the small alley. Frankie growled in frustration. She wanted to play too. She ran to a fire escape and slide down it, jumping half way and taking out another guy that was reloading a gun. Frankie smirked towards Raph's helmet and got to her feet. The one left standing watched them walk towards him, cornering him against a dumpster as he steadied his gun.

"Well, well. The Nightwatcher has a girlfriend?" The scumbag mocked. Frankie narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I'm not as good lookin' as your _boyfriend_." Frankie shot back. Raph smirked in his helmet. She was so feisty, he loved that about her.

The creep came at her and she dodged out of the way, tumbling into the alleyway. Raphael grabbed the guy flipping him over his shoulder. His back slammed against the hard concrete floor. He was slow to get up as Raph walked over to him kicking his guns out of his grasps. He dropped chains from his suit and starting tying all of them up. It didn't take long before they were all hanging on a street lamp at the entrance of the alleyway. Just as Raphael finished, helping Frankie up the fire escape, police sirens rang out. Raph pushed Frankie up harder making her body fall on the roof top as Raph's body stumbled onto hers. She smiled at him as she removed his helmet.

"That's better." She said as a smile came to his lips. He leaned down slowly and kissed her. This was the first time he made the move. Her face burned with excitement to the feel of his lips on hers. "That was exciting." She said softly, not moving far from his lips, her eyes remaining closed. He pushed his lips back to hers as she moved under him, rolling her hips into a more comfortable position.

"Earlier. When you said boyfriend, what was that about?" Raphael said pushing away from her, her lips instantly missing his. She frowned from him breaking the kiss she was enjoying so much.

"You don't want to be my boyfriend?" She asked getting frustrated.

"That's not what I said." He glared back.

"Then why are you questionin' it? You wanna be my boyfriend or not?" She asked leaning up on her hands making him move off of her.

"Well, yeah." He said in doubt that she would even question it herself.

"Then shut up and kiss me." She said pulling his lips back on hers. He laid his body on top of hers as ocean wind blew over them. Smog clouds moved out of the way to show a full moon in the distance.


	15. Chapter 15

Six months had passed since the insistent at the warehouse and everything seemed to go back to normal. Samantha returned to starting a new life for herself as Frankie joined her in their two floor apartment.

Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo went back to patrolling the crime infested streets of New York City. Their duty as a team and as protectors wouldn't and couldn't go unnoticed. Leonardo made sure of that.

Now that is was summer Jordon and Emma made regular visits to their sister's new and stable home. Finally, her sister's got to meet this Frankie girl their older sister went on and on about. Frankie was pleased to see how similar they all looked even though there were plenty of years in between them.

Emma talked for hours about her stay at BU and how she desperately wanted to transfer to NYU. She'd tell stories about her art teachers and how they were "idiots, and didn't have any idea what they were talking about." Jordon would explain her schooling and classes but her stories seem to lack the same excitement as her younger sister. She herself was very excited about the subjects her stories lead to, but no one else seemed to exchanging the feeling.

Frankie, Samantha and her sisters would laugh and share life stories it not taking long before the _friend_ question came up. Samantha tried to avoid it changing the subject, or surprising the girls with gifts to distract them from what they were talking about. Emma was easy but Jordon was always two beats ahead of her.

"So how's Leo?" She'd ask with a smirk. Finally Sam and Frankie had to give in. They were so many occasions that the guys almost burst through Samantha's living room window just to say "hi" as Jordon and Emma sat on the couch. Luckily Leonardo would catch his youngest brother before and make sure the coast was clear.

Emma and Jordon didn't know what to make of it the first night they met the boys. Samantha had to basically drag them into it. Leo insisted that they wait but Samantha insisted that they were her family and should know her other family as well. Splinter was unreasonable at first, but then gave in. He had a feeling it would go well with his son's and even though April and Casey were good friends to his family the boys needed more than just a small number of friends to keep them level headed.

Jordon circled them two or three times before she could form a sentence. She was dumbfounded and amazed by what she was seeing before her. She couldn't place how these four turtle humans came to be. Their speaking abilities, the fact they could walk and fight was astonishing to her. Donatello explained how it happened and what they were and Jordon tried to figure out the possibilities of that actually happening. It wasn't impossible. There are a numerous toxic waste plants and chemicals in this world to create something as amazing as this. The fact that she herself was actually seeing it was amazing.

Emma was scared at first, but then got used to the idea. There wasn't much she could do about it and she was never one for judging appearance, but excepting people for who they were through their personalities. Her lack of ability to not stop talking counteracted Mikey's same quality. It wasn't long before they became friends. Their love for movies and video games made them as excited and happy as the other. Their similar interests and similar personalities made it hard for them not to get along. She lost sight of the fact he was a turtle in minutes.

Michelangelo was the deciding factor for Emma to move to New York with her sister and start going to NYU next semester. She and Mikey would sit on his couch for hours at a time watching movie after movie, or playing games until they got to the main guy at the end. Giggles and laughter could be heard throughout the lair when those two were near each other. Splinter was filled with so much happiness for his youngest son that he finally found a companion. For all his sons.

Jordon stayed till the end of the summer but went back to Harvard, her weekend trips to the city started happening more. She'd call the lair almost every night now she too found a friend in Donatello. As well as a person that didn't mind her discussions about her major or papers she had to write, asking his opinion and sometimes for help. She was always flattered when he complimented her thesis or counter arguments. He was relieved to finally have someone as smart as him around to exercise his brain.

Their patrols were becoming shorter each night. Leonardo's skills as leader were lacking and Splinter could sense something in Leonardo's ability to focus long before Samantha came into his life. His son was confused, and Samantha was just a defining factor to that confusion. Soon, Leonardo started fighting with his Sensei as well as his brothers. His fuse was becoming shorter as the fights became more frequent. Their patrols at night were spent with them not fighting the criminals on the streets but each other. Michelangelo and Donatello could do nothing but watch their feuding brothers bicker back and forth until one night it became physical.

Leonardo lunged towards his brother as Raphael did the same slamming his brother's shell against a heating vent leaving a dent in the hard metal. The younger brothers had to pull them apart, as their bodies tried to break away like rabid dogs scared they were really going to harm one another. Donatello held Leonardo as Michelangelo held Raphael. Mikey could handle the hothead more than Donnie could. It's how it always went when those two fought. Raph pushed Mikey away from him so hard he fell back. Leonardo watched as his hotheaded brother disappeared into the darkness of the roof tops. Not soon after that fight Leonardo was sent away.

Their trips topside became less as they followed orders from their Master. Splinter's words were loud and fierce the night they shared together without their leader.

"If you are unable to work together as a _family_, then you are unable to fight as protectors." He paced before his kneeled sons. The youngest hanging their heads in shame as Raphael hung his head to hid his anger ripping throughout him. He wasn't going to be held back. His brother got to leave just because they had a fight and his lack in judgment as a leader, and he had to stay in their lair until he got back. He'd go nuts. No way was he going to stand or tolerate this._Leo wants to leave? Good we don't need him anyways. Me goin' topside would prove just that. Just because the fearless leader is gone doesn't mean those jackass' rulin' this city is._

As her friend's relationship grew stronger with Raphael, Leonardo and Samantha's relationship dwindled. Leonardo explained to her over and over again but she never understood. She might have done it out of jealousy, out of spite. She didn't want to believe it was true.

_"Sam..."_

_"Hmm..."_

_"I'm leaving."_

_"Why, your brother's know where you are. Go back to bed." She said sleepily cuddling next to him in her bed they shared._

_"No...I mean I'm leaving the City." He said staring at her ceiling. She shifted next to him and he didn't have to look at her to know she was sitting up straight and glaring at him. He could feel it._

_"What? What do you mean?"_

_"Splinter needs to me become a better leader for my brother's. He's sending me away for awhile so I can try and find myself, become stronger and better willed. I need this Samantha." He said turning his face to look at her. Her eyes softened from a glare knowing she couldn't fight with him, knowing her word over Splinter's would get shot down. She didn't wanna fight. She laid her head back down against his shoulder with a soft sighed._

_"When..." She said softly trying to keep her voice even._

_"Soon."  
_

They were just beginning to fall and Leo threw in a platform to make their bodies slam against it to break them out of their love sick jolt. Her heart ached. She didn't want to eat, move, sleep or even think. All her dreams were of Leo's face, his touch, his smell. All of her movements reminded her of Leo's teaching, his abilities, and grace. Her thoughts remained on his heart, his words, and his soul. She knew every inch of him, as he knew every inch of her.

_The room was filled with candles as the sent from their bodies and linger incense filled his room. She had her legs over his, as their bodies made a triangle as he traced a white iris flower along her bare stomach. He had given her the flower earlier that evening, saying that there was no flower that captured her similar beauty. Iris' were her favorite._

_Her body was surrounded by silky pillows that he laid on his floor in his bedroom. The candle light was the only thing they had to see one another. Her beautiful milky skin glowed from the feeling she had when he was near her. His breathing was comforting, along with his touch, his look, his voice. Knowing he was there by her side made her feel safe, thinking at any one moment she could be killed but with him there nothing could harm her._

_She turned her head looking into his beautiful brown eyes as he smiled running the flower across her cheek. She smiled back, taking his hand and kissed it._

_"Sam..." He said moving his body closer to hers. She slid herself closer as well with a soft moan escaping her lips as he kissed the top of her shoulder._

_"Yeah Leo?"_

_"Am I yours?" He asked looking up at her with concern. She smiled leaning down and kissed his lips._

_"For as long as you want." She said putting her head back down on a pillow._

_"What if I want forever?" He asked kissing her collar bone._

_"Then I'll give you forever." She said softly._

_"So you're mine?"_

_"All of me." She smiled._

_"Even this?" He said taking her hand and kissing it. She smiled and nodded her head. "This?" He continued kissing her wrist. She cupped her hand around his face._

_"Yes." She said in a soft whisper. He continued, kissing up her arm to her shoulder. He kissed down between her breasts, to her stomach making her giggle softly as he glided his cheek along her skin. He loved that, the way he could make her giggle and laugh. He knew he was the only one that could ever do that for her. "I love you." She said softly. He stopped and looked up at her, his eyes wide as he leaned up from her body slowly. Her face looked as though she immediately regretted saying it. She bit her lip and closed her eyes. He knew this look. She was regretting it. "I didn't mean...Arg.." She sighed aggravated. He smiled and kissed her forehead. "No, don't give a forehead kiss. That means that you're gonna say something stupid like we should wait or that you don't feel the same yet and I know, I shouldn't of...It was too quick and...It wasn't..."_

_He stopped her lips from moving by grasping his around them. She felt herself relax as her hands fell to the pillows at her side. He let her lips go from his and looked at her._

_"You talk faster than Mikey sometimes." He smiled, she didn't. His smile faded and he looked down at her. He didn't know what it meant to love someone. He knew love in the form of loving a brother and a father, a friend, but a companion, a lover? The very fact that she said it first made him doubt his lack of knowing the feeling and being filled instantly with it. He knew it was true. His true feelings were screaming in his head and his heart, that never happens. It's either one or the other. He always ignored his heart, knowing the more logical choice lied in his head. Which was screaming say I love you back, you idiot! But, instead he braced himself, his arms on both sides of her looking down at her beautiful hazel eyes saying nothing. They danced back and forth over his. He knew she was trying to search his thoughts. He always knew she could never read him, since she told him every time they fought. "I..." He stopped trying to regain himself._

_"Stop Leo." She said holding up her hand. "I don't want you to say it." His shoulders dropped as he released the breath he wasn't even aware he was holding._

_"What, why?"_

_"I can't handle you not meaning it."_

_"I do mean it." He said as he pushed himself off the floor. He covered his hand with his face as his shoulders started to shake. She brought her body up towards his, worried he might start crying. She took his hand and noticed he was laughing softly. "I love you." He said looking back at her. She raised an eyebrow to him. He knew that face as well. "I'm not crazy." He said crossing his arms over his plastron._

_"I believe you. I'm just gonna take these." She said reaching for his katanas. He pulled her body to his kissing her deeply. Her body collapsed on him making her weak from his lips. He laid her body down on the pillows, making their love known to one another as the night went on.  
_

She never let herself fall so easily before, granted this was a different experience with love than that of something normal. She wouldn't have met him otherwise. They would have lived their whole lives without knowing one another. She hated this weakness he put over her without him even knowing he was doing it. He was half a world away from her now but she always had that aching feeling in her chest every time she looked up at the moon she knew he was looking at that same moon.

The brothers slowly started making their own separations from their family, their team. Donnie got a job as a computer consultant helping computer illiterates and their mind numbing jabber over his head set. His shoulder tensed as his body rarely left his chair. The only time he got up from it was when Jordon was around or he needed to fix something in the lair. She'd try and give him advice in finding a better job, but he said this was the only possible way to make money without going topside. When she was around his shoulders loosened, the tension would disappear. Seeing her smile and hearing her intelligences was refreshing from the imbeciles he had to speak with for hours on end.

Mikey got into children's entertainment. One day he and Emma were snuggled close to one another on the old worn down couch in the lair watching Dogma. Paying some attention to the movie as their discussion on how his lack of money was an issue. He had to come up with a way to help his brother in brining in some income. Their attention was brought back to the movie as the Mooby's character came into view.

"If we could make a character up that would be an easy way to roll in the dough, man." Emma said. "I mean think about it Mikester, fast food joints, cartoons, comics, video games those are all things made _just_ for kids. Well, some anyways. Kids parties, you know how much people pay you to dress up in ridiculous customs for an hour just to jump around and act like a kid? Something fun and you get paid for it!" She shook her head. "It's unbelievable." Suddenly Mikey picked his head up and the light bulb went off inside it. Emma kept a sketch book around her at all times. She'd draw characters she and Mikey would make up. They'd spend nights talking and making up their own story lines and comics in his room. He smiled at the image of her on his bed, laying on her stomach as her blonde hair fell in her face as she looked up at him.

"You got your sketch book on you?"

"Yeah, why?" She said leaning down the floor opening her messenger bag and pulling it out.

"You remember Cowabunga Carl?"

"Haha, yeah that was a fun night." She chuckled flipping to that page. There was a colored pencil drawing of a turtle with an over exaggerated grin on his face holding larger than life nunchakus. This was the comic book version of Michelangelo, at least how Emma perceived him.

"What if I'm Cowabunga Carl?"

"But you're Mikey?"

Yeah, I know but for the kiddies. What if that's how I make money?" He grinned his adorably ridiculous grin and Emma caught on clapping her hands together and wrapping them around Mikey's shoulders.

"Ah! Mikey, you're sucha genius!"

"Yeah, I know. It's a gift."

A few weeks later, Emma asked Casey about his old van he kept. He said that he never used it anymore because there were a lot of things wrong with the engine. Emma explained to Frankie one night she was actually awake and around about Cowabunga Carl and Mikey's great plan. She needed Casey's van in order to give Mikey a chance to follow through with it. Frankie was hesitant at first, but gave in to the annoying pleading Emma just didn't seem to stop. She drove to Casey and April's place with Emma and took a look at the van. Her pervious job with her father gave her a lot experiences under the hood. Figuring out what was wrong and the fact that it was fixable made Emma squeak with excitement.

"You're really digging him huh?" Frankie chuckled rolling a ratchet in her hand.

"Uh…DUH! He's Mikey! How can anyone not like Mikey?"

"Ha, I guess not you." Frankie said returning to her work.

The van was as good as new, well as close to new that a 1970s van could get. Emma drove it to a secret garage that Donnie created for Raphael's motorcycle one day coming back from an art supply store. She set her bags down on the floor, keeping the door open so the fumes wouldn't get to her head. She started taking out her air brush kit she bought attacking can after can of spray paint in bright colors. After a few hours her empty canvas brought her Cowabunga Carl character to life as his face was plastered on the side of a van.

She walked down to the lair, her ripped jeans and white fitted shirt covered in orange, yellow, green and red. Mikey raised an eye ridge to her as she smiled pulling him to his feet. He tried not to move as he paused his game dropping the controller and walking with Emma out of the lair. She placed her hands over his eyes until they got to the surface reveling her hours of work to him. He was filled with such excitement that he scooped her body in his arms effortlessly as he spun her around. She giggled as she held on to him tightly before he placed her gentle to the ground. He kept his hands around her waist for a moment as their eyes locked on one another's. She always was a sucker for blue eyes. He let go taking a step back as he realized how close he was to her. She grabbed his arm pulling him back against her as she kissed his lips. It felt soft, and was quick but made Mikey's heart jump to the sky and back down again.

Raphael made his return as the Nightwatcher His duty to protect those who needed it wouldn't be jeopardized just because of his brother, or lack of a brother. Casey and Frankie joined him on the roof tops above New York City. Police reports rang through Raphael's helmet as they all went to the crime in question. They all brought their own style of fighting, but letting Raphael finish the job. His chains wrapping around the creeps as he hung them around New York like ornaments.

At the end of the night Casey would make his way to his and April's bed as quietly as possible, Raphael and Frankie making it back to her apartment she shared with her emotionally broken friend. Out of respect for her best friend Frankie tried to resist her urges as her adrenaline rang fresh throughout her blood. Her body quivered to his touch, that just minuets ago could put a man in a comma but was now soft and gentle against her skin. She gave in as their bodies came together, with no intent to stop. Frankie fought to keep her voice down as Raphael would muffle her sounds as his lips clasped around hers in the darkness of her bedroom. After hours of their bodies working out the left over rush from their nightly vigilantly duties they'd separate from one another as the sound of their breathing filled the room. Their hearts pounding from their chests as it started to settle. The sweat from Frankie's body glistened in the only light from the moon shinning in. Raph would push the hair from her face that was plastered there with sweat. If anything was right in his life, it was her and he was grateful for that.

A year had passed and Leonardo was still not home. Splinter had told Samantha that he was not going to be gone for much longer. Soon after, Leo's letters stopped coming. She barely got one once a month and than nothing at all. She talked to Donnie and said the same for them. Samantha couldn't stand herself anymore. She was becoming a love sick weakling that she was disgusted to even know. She had to get away. There was nothing more she could do here, not without Leonardo.

She was cleaning through her things one evening Emma was off at the lair and Frankie was off with Raphael. She came across a cell phone she kept for business reasons. Out of interest and the thriving feeling within her to fight once again, she flipped it open holding down the power button. The screen lit up and her stomach twisted in nervous knots. She didn't know what to except. Soon the phone beeped annoyingly for a few moments showing she had one hundred missed calls, and messages. Curiosity won her over as she sat and listened to all the messages. The date on the last one was recent, not being a week old. She listened to it intently as a spark of excitement came to her face from the man speaking to her.

"Nix. We are well aware of your situation and you're undeniable refusal to come back. But, this is of dyer importance. There is a group of drug and weapons dealer making their way to the US through Mexico. Their connection through the Latin America Embassies are going to give them a straight shot to get through the boarder. We're sending you to Guatemala to stop anything before it happens. Please respond if you are interested in the next following weeks. We need you Nix."She clapped the phone shut holding it tightly to in her firsts over thinking what she was going to do, there was no discussion.


	16. Chapter 16

The jungle was hot and muggy today. She had been lucky enough to get a few days of travel that had at least a breeze to cool her down as her body over heated. Until today. Today made her hair a mess on her head from sweat and her clothes clung to her body. It was irritating and made her try and focus on something other than the man screaming in her ear telling her how to navigate this vast area of nothing but trees and brush.

"Listen, Joe is it? I'm not used to taking orders and you don't know how fuckin' hot it is in this God-forsaken jungle, so if you wanna scream about something you better be dying!"

"Nix you wanna keep this up then you're on your own."

"Fine. Where am I going now?"

"Do you see a waterfall?" She looked around her and noticed the rushing sound of water further ahead, probably about half a mile. She was elevated enough that she could see it. She moved quickly through the leaves and brush, pushing them out of her way examining everything around her so she didn't suddenly fall, or bring too much attention to herself. Every though there was no one or anything around her in his damn jungle. Nothing but the heat. She brushed her hair back with sweat and saw the beauty around her. The waterfall was large and the the foliage around it was beautiful. Flowers she'd only seen before in magazines were living in their natural habitat. A smile slowly came to her face.

"Yeah Joe, I see it."

"Alright good. They're hiding the cocaine in a near by village. Then his actual house is about a mile or two away from there. You'll see a lot of trees around it, like..."

"Like it's hidden?" Sam said with a sarcastic tone.

"Yeah, Nix. Listen, if you wanna get smart you can navigate yourself around..."

"No, no. Geez you're touchier than the last tech guy I talked to."

"Yeah well, I'm used to your kind."

"My..." She growled in her headset. "I'll be angry about that later." She said moving quietly through the jungle. She heard a rustle of leaves behind her and turned her back seeing nothing but the lingering shake of leaves. She narrowed her eyes and looked around the area. She saw nothing. She took the gun from her back and took the safety off. They wanna play, she'll play. She held her gun at ready in front of her, stalking the jungle floor. She felt a gush of wind to her left. The brush of air against her cheek felt good. She looked over and up to the trees. "Come out come out where ever you are..." She said in a sing song voice.

"What?" Joe said from her ear.

"Sh..." She said trying to ignore the voice in her head. She kept her body on alert. She wasn't going to have some guy that has gone astray from his group of drug dealers with big guns come and mess this up for her. This was the first job she had taken in awhile and she didn't need someone messing it up for her.

Then she felt the ground shake ahead of her and she looked down keeping her eyes level to look ahead. There was a large figure ahead of her. A gust of wind blew through the trees as his bandanna flowed behind his head. She squinted her eyes and noticed two swords poking out from his back. She stepped forward and he took a sword from his straps, not moving otherwise. Her eyes widened and she realized who it was.

"LEO?" She said running over to him. He stepped out of the way until he noticed it was her. He felt his heart fall and dropped his sword wrapping his arms around her lifting her feet from the ground. She smiled and pressed her lips to his.

"What? Leo, who the hell is Leo?" A voice said from her ear piece. He put her down as she ripped the cord from her ear throwing it to the jungle floor.

She thought back to the first time she ever kissed him. How it felt how gentle he was. Until he finally was able to let out some pent up frustration he had and they wrecked her apartment. Still, the first kiss, the first time their lips touched it was gentle. Like now, it was like he wanted to just savor the feeling of his body close to hers, her lips pressed against his. The smell of her, the feel of her, just her.

He let her down slowly feeling his heart swell with her embrace. "So, should I call you Nix?" He smirked and looked at the ear piece on the ground, picking it up and handing it back to her. "I'm sure you'll need this for something."

"I don't care about that right now. I have three days to complete this mission and it's more than halfway done."

"Of course, you never did waste time." She smiled at him taking the tangled cords from him and putting them in a pocket of her cargo shorts. "What's the big mission?" He said leaning against a tree.

"Cocaine. Weapons. The usual." She said trying to smooth out her hair. She knew she didn't need to impress him, but still she was a girl after all.

"Drug dealers?"

"Yeah, have you seen anything?"

"There is a lot of action going on about four miles from here. About? I never really counted them, just an estimate." She shook her head with a glare.

"Damn Joe!" She said in aggravation. "And he's supposed to be the best of the best. He said it was like two miles from here."

"I could be wrong." Leo said in a soothing tone. She felt herself suddenly calm as she noticed his body closer to hers. She smiled as he wiped a drop of sweat off her that was rolling down her cheek. He returned the smile as she took his hand kissing it softly.

"I missed you." She said softly. He smiled and took her by the hand pulling her with him.

"I want to show you something." He said with a hint of excitement behind his voice. Sometimes he had this way about him that reminded her that he was younger than she was. "Close your eyes." He said turning towards her as they stopped in front of a cooler spot. There were big beautiful leaves all around them, a darker green than his skin making him stand out. She smiled and followed orders. He pushed her through the bushes, putting his hand out making it so leaves didn't get in her face. She could hear the rush of water getting closer and smiled feeling sprays of cool water touch her skin. She felt soft kisses on her bare shoulder that he left as he stopped her from walking further. "Ok, open them." He said in a whisper in her ear.

She looked around as the waterfall was right before her. She could reach out and touch it. It was the most beautiful thing. From far away it looked so small and now she realized just how big it was. Her heart beat started to race as she looked over her shoulder at Leo, her eyes sparkling with excitement. He kissed her cheek and fit his arms loosely around her waist.

"As soon as I saw this, I thought of you. It was the second most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He said, she could feel him smile against her neck.

"And the first being...?"

"You." She giggled already knowing his answer, but she wanted to hear it. He could be so corny sometimes. Good corny. It wasn't fake like some guys, he was actually sincere because he knew no other way to be. Those always made her have an absolute feeling of safety for falling for him. And she did, over and over again."C'mon." She said taking his hand and running towards the water. She stopped at the edge of a ten foot drop and pealed her shirt that was plastered to her skin off. He stopped behind watching her as the sun from the open area shown down on her body. It glistened with sweat on her lower back. She bent down as she slides her shorts off, so she was nearly exposed in a black bra and matching thong underwear. He smiled titling his head to one side. She turned and looked at him giggling from his expression. She almost turned fully around and he held up a hand.

"Stop. Let me just look at you." She rolled her eyes and pushed him as he grabbed her hand pulling her lips to his, gliding his hands down her back. He let go of her lips quickly diving into the water. She watched him going to the edge and saw just the ripples in the clear blue water below. She frowned looking around.

"Leo?" She said as she walked along the waterside. "What, the hell?" She said to herself looking back into the jungle. "Leo, this isn't funny!" She said turning her back to the water.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into the water. Her scream was silenced by water going into her lungs. She kicked him away under the water and surfaced splashing him in the face.

"Not funny!" She said splashing him again. He laughed and splashed her back. She went in for a return and he grabbed her hand and pulled her in for another kiss, but she dunked his head under the water. He surfaced coughing and she laughed. "Ha! Now that's funny." He glared at her and she yelped diving under the water and swimming away from him. He followed her as she got on some rocks next to the waterfall. She held on tight to the leaves and branches that covered the entryway to a cave hidden by the waterfall as she slipped on a rock covered in slimy moss. She ducked behind the waterfall and the cool breeze flowed over her body. She felt the rush of air move her wet hair from her face and gave her a chill as her body covered in goose bumps. She saw him through the waterfall as he came emerged, without a problem or stumble. Of course he did, he's a ninja. She smiled to herself. He smiled back at her, as the water dipping from his body echoed through the empty cave.

They kept their eyes locked on each other, keeping a space between them. She wanted to close it off, get closer to him. Wrap herself around him and have him take her into a pleasure she missed for almost two years. He had been gone far too long for him not to feel the same. Right? She did have that empty though aching at her all day. He came towards her and she put her hand up.

"Wait." He stopped and took a step back. "I didn't come here for this. I am on a mission and you have one as well. Maybe we should just go our separate ways until you can find your way back to the life I'm apart of." She said with an even tone. She looked at him and he looked back in shock. Everything was going so well. He didn't want to admit how right she was, she always knew how to distract him enough to let go and forget everything around him, everything he has been trying to regain for a little over a year.

"Maybe, you're right?"

"I know I'm right. You came here for a reason Leo, to make yourself a better leader for your family. You're training was over a year ago and you knew where I was along with your family and brothers that all miss you way more than I ever would, yet you are still here. I know you love me and I know this is hard for you so I'm not asking you to come back, I'm not even asking you to think about it. I just want you to know that I am miserable without you. I can't sleep without you there. It's like I can't breathe unless you're near me. I've never felt so scared before, it's annoying and aggravating, and not me!" Leo opened his mouth to speak but she shook her hand again.

"I don't want you to say anything. I know the completely unfair way I'm coming about this and forcing you to listen to something I know you don't want to. I know you're doing this to make yourself better and for that I give you praise Leo, but I don't want you to forget who you are and what your heart is telling you. Just..." She sighed and walked over to him taking his hands and kissing them softly, making her lips linger against his skin. "I love you, be safe. Please? I know you will but it's just more assuring if I say it." She looked up and smiled at him. He picked his hand up to place it on her cheek but she moved away from him, leaving the cave.

She pushed the hair out of her face that was forced in her eyes from the water pouring over her body. She walked over to where her clothes were and pulled her shorts up and sat on the ground tying her boots laces. She put her face towards the sun, feeling her skin dry instantly as it lay over her body and the heat warmed her body. She shook the grass and dirt out of her shirt before putting it on and looked down at the cave. Her eyes caught on his and she turned her face away as a tear ran down it.

She heard a voice around her and looked behind her. Nothing. "Oh shit." She grabbed the head set out of her pocket and placed it in her ear.

"NIX?! DO YOU READ? WE ARE SENDING A GROUP TO COME FIND YOU!" The voice screamed from the other end. She took it out of her ear quickly and attached the cord to the headset on her belt.

"I'm fine Joe!" She yelled back.

"Nix? Where the hell did you go?"

"I fell and I guess the cord got unplugged." She said looked at the waterfall. Shaking her head and walking back into the jungle. She strapped her gun to her back putting the safety back on.

"Well make sure it doesn't happen again! Cancel search party, we found her guys." He yelled back.

"Oh, finally." Another voice came. "Hey Nix any luck with those baddies yet?"

"Not, yet Andy."

"Where are you?" Joe asked.

"Waterfall." She said slowly.

"It's approximately four miles ahead of you. If you keep a low profile you'll get in unnoticed. They're should be only four or five men outside. I set up surveillance around there." He sounded like Donnie sometimes and she smiled to herself. She walked around the jungle floor hearing the tops of trees rustle ever now and again.

"Well Nix I'm halfway there anyways. Instead of walkin' in this heat you wanna ride? I can't have you passin' out in the middle of this." Andy said over his walky.

"I don't want to be trouble Andy."

"You always are." She smirked and waited for him in the brush.

She saw a green camouflage jeep drive by slowly and she ran out of the brush as she saw break lights. He looked back at her with a smile, moving his sunglasses from his face.

"So, how much?" He said as she sat next to him.

"Too much for you." She smiled.

"Well see about that." He said driving forward. She held onto the handle in front of her as he went over bumps and stones on the man made trail.

Leonardo jumped from branch to branch paying more attention to the man in the jeep than the women who held his heart. He was too close for comfort for Leo, making a new feeling. Jealousy run through his veins. He hated this. He never wanted to see something like this. The women he loved sitting next to some goon making the moves on her. He narrowed his eyes as he kept himself to the shade of the trees.

They pulled up a mile away from cocaine invested shack in the middle of no where. They walked through the woods, keeping their guns at ready. Andy moved behind Sam as she kept low to the ground stopping when she got in eye view of the shack. Guards leaned up against the wooden structure cigars sticking out of their faces. She heard something from above again and looked up this time having a leaf fall in her face. Andy pointed his gun in the air and she put her hand on it brining it back down.

"Put your safety on, Jesus..." She said in a raspy voice.

"I never thought you to be an animal activist Nix?" Andy said raising an eyebrow to her.

"You don't even know the half of it." She said under her breath.

"What?" She covered his mouth and put her finger to her lips.

"Sh...Do you want to get us killed. This is why I don't partner you in missions."

"That and my dashing good looks right?"

"Pshh...Ok price charming you wanna give me those binoculars so I can see what we're dealing with here?" She said grabbing them from his vest pocket.

"Hey, hey no need to get grab happy." He said putting his hands up to her hand feeling his chest. She rolled her eyes and looked through the lens at the structure before them. She saw a jeep in the back of the building being loaded up with white bags.

"This is it." She said. "We'll follow them, they're taking the drugs to the house. We go there take them out. Joe?" She said pressing her ear making sure he heard her.

"Yes Nix?"

"Make sure there are plenty of people waiting outside his house armed and ready. Andy and I are going to follow the jeep back and stalk our pray. We'll have this over and done with in less than 42 hours." She said turning off her communications. She reached in Andy's pocket and pulled out his walky turning it off.

"What if they need us?"

"We'll need them if anything. You don't use communications when you've reached your destination. This is all on us now buddy boy. You ready?"

"Always." He said with a cocky smile. She rolled her eyes again running back towards the jeep. She slid in the dirt jumping in. Andy jumped in and looked over at Sam.

"We have to wait until they leave."

"I can't see anything can you?" He asked.

"No, give me your binoculars again." She said holding her hand out. He placed them in her hand and she put them to her eyes searching the jungle for the shack. She looked up at the trees and noticed Leo crouching on a branch twenty feet away from the jeep. She growled in frustration. His face was turned towards the wooden structure and she knew he was going to follow them.

"What's the matter?" Andy asked standing up in the jeep trying to see if he could make out anything happening.

"Nothing." She said putting her eyes back to the jungle floor trying to make out the jeep. "There she is..." She said to herself. She bit her lip in concentration and adjusted the lens to make her vision clearer and closer. "Guns are moving. They're loading the last bag." She turned over the engine and pressed on the gas. The jeep ahead of them took off.

"You should stay far enough behind. Give me the binoculars, I'll navigate." Andy said taking them from her lap. She glared down at his hand coming too close to her and then over at him. He wasn't looking so her angry went unnoticed and she put her focus on the road before her.

"They're turning after a bolder." Andy's was voice soft, trying to concentrate. "I see the house ahead. It's huge." He said taking the lens from his eyes. Sam ignored him and looked ahead noticing something jump from branch to branch. She shook her head and pressed on and gas harder.

They were nearly a mile from the house before she stopped; pulling off into the wooded area to hid their jeep as best she could. She strapped another gun to her back, placing handguns and knives into belt pouches and pockets in her pants and holster. She put a few under her cargo pants on a strap that was attached to her thighs. Andy watched her as he checked one of his guns making sure it was loaded.

"How many can you keep on you at one time?"

"Ten." She said snapping off a handgun safety. His eyes widened as she walked past him through the leaves and brush of the jungle. "You take east I'll take west." She said as they got to the gate. She backed up away from the brick wall and climbed it, landing on the edge, and crouching down so she wasn't noticed by passing guards. There weren't any. She was welcomed by more brush and leaves. She frowned and looked up and down the vast brick wall. She saw in the far distance Andy's body push himself up and over. The rustle of leaves told her he fell harder than he liked. She rolled her eyes and dropped down as well.

She felt someone behind her as she walked and pointed her gun in front of her as she rushed her body around. Nothing. She moaned with frustration.

"Will you just show yourself Leo, this ninja thing is annoying." She said putting her arm down and walking closer to the house. He didn't and she sighed. "I'm trying to keep a low profile here, I'm doing my job. Go do yours."

He stepped out in front of her and she put her gun down placing it in her belt. His eyes were narrowed at her and she knew this look.

"What?"

"Who is he?" He asked his voice fierce and deep.

"Partner." She said simply her voice equally as fierce brushing past him.

"I thought you were doing this alone."

"Apparently not." She said throwing her arms up. "You're here too."

"I'm protecting what's mine." He said walking closer to her. She felt her heart pound faster as the sound of his deep voice thrashed through her mind. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing.

"I'm still yours then?" She said meeting his glare and walking past him. She shook her head and turned back around. "Ya know what Leo? Maybe I'm yours in New York, but here. Here we're both two different people." She walked away from him and she felt his eyes on the back of her, and his anger swelling within him. He left out a low growl and ran over to her grabbing her arms tightly and making her eyes meet his. She winced to the pressure he put on her and then relaxed her face knowing he wasn't going to do anything and even if he did, he'd be dead before he tried.

"You're mine. Period." He said his eyes focused on hers forcing themselves into her very soul. She looked away but he shook her so she'd looked back. "I'm yours and you're mine. You gave me forever and I took it. Now you take it." She pushed his hands away as he let his grip go.

"I did take it. I've been taking it for a year Leo! I can't take much more!" She turned away as she felt tears starting to form in her eyes. Don't let them see you cry, you can never let them see you cry. She rose her head up and pushed the tears away, swallowing down the lump in her throat. He walked to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She pushed it away and he turned her around and pulled her body to his.

She closed her eyes and shook her head knowing the childish way she just acted. She picked her head back up quickly looking over her shoulder. The mission. Andy. Shit. She looked back at Leo and he nodded his head knowing already what she was about to say. He let her go and walked with her as she moved gracefully through the foliage.

Leo heard something coming up beside them and ducked away. Sam turned around to tell him and stopped noticing he was already ahead of her, like always. She smiled to herself, taking her gun out and cocking it. She kept a steady finger over the trigger. The cracking of leaves and sticks was getting closer and she saw a blonde head coming through the brush.

"Nix..?" He half whispered.

"Over here." She said back. He found her and they crouched down.

"Who were you talkin' too?" He asked brushing a leave out of his face and looking around her.

"No one. Shut up. Is that area secure?" She said placing her gun in her holster.

"Yeah, it's fine." He said still in question to her surroundings. "The entrance is over there about three yards away." He said his face close to hers. "What do you suggest?"

Leo kept himself hidden but close to Sam. He watched carefully as the guy next to her didn't touch her. Even if he did, he couldn't do anything about it. He hated jealousy. He trusted Sam, not him. Leo's eyes narrow as Andy placed a hand on Sam's knee. Sam looked at it and got up from crouching and started to walk away. Leo smiled at his reassuring feeling of trust for her.

"Let's just move and see if we can get in."

"There aren't many guards. They're not expecting us."

"Good. That's a good thing, we don't want them to know."

"That's usually the case." Andy said looking confused.

"Yeah I know, shut up and follow me." She said aggravated.

They made it to the entrance and went inside. Andy covered Sam's back as she moved forward arm locked ahead of her as her gun darted from left to right making sure the area around her was secure. Andy did the same as they filed into the building. Gun shots and yelling echoed through the jungle as jeeps lined up outside the house. Men from inside fled as Sam made her way to the Master bedroom. She kicked open the door and saw a man huddled in a corner trying to shove bags of cocaine into a duffle bag. She pointed the gun to the back of his head.

"Don't move." He of course did, making his way to the window. She shot him in the knee cap before he was able to escape. Men ran in screaming words she couldn't understand and shot at her. She jumped across the bed, getting a shot to the shoulder. She fell hard on her back and rolled kicking shut the bathroom door. Bullets broke through the wooden door as she ducked in the bathtub. The bullets stopped and she pulled out her shot gun from her back and cocked it on the ready. She smiled and stood from the porcine tub. Blood pulsed from the wound, but it was only a graze she'd had much worse.

The door sung open as a man walked in. She shot the gun as he flew back into the bedroom. More men filed into the room and one by one she piled them along the bedroom floor. Bullet shells spun in the bottom on the tub as she stepped out. She put the gun back in her strap and took a handgun, pointing it into the bedroom and looking around to see if anyone was left. He got away. Damnit. She shook her head and placed her hand on the wound, keeping pressure on it. She walked down the stairs as a swat team ran up them. They moved out of the way of her and she walked over to Andy and her chief.

"Nix, good. We got him. He jumped from the second story window and landed on a man doing a search around the building. We're going to take him back to questioning. You're free to go home." She smiled and gave back her guns. "What's this?" He said holding her gun. She took her badge from her back pocket and handed that over as well.

"I'm done." She said throwing her arms in the air.

"Done what?" Her chief called back at her as she jumped in a jeep.

"I quit!" She said with a smile. "To the airport boys!" She said falling back in the seat with a sigh of relief. 


	17. Chapter 17

The city lights bounced along the wet streets of New York as her shoes made a rhythmic noise against the concrete she walked from the subway. She looked up at her building and smiled as she was buzzed in.

"Welcome back Ms. Raine." The doorman said with a bow. She smiled and bowed her head.

She opened the door hearing the TV from her living room. She put her bag on her kitchen island as Casey turned around on the couch with a beer in his hand.

"Sammy! You're back!" He said about to get up. She smiled and motioned for him to stay seated. She grabbed a beer for herself in her icebox and sat down next to him with a sigh. "How was it?"

"Same old shit. I got shot in the shoulder." She said moving her shirt to show him.

"How many times does that make now?" He chuckled.

"Lost count." She said taking a swig of her beer. "Where's April, why are you here?" She said looking over at him.

"April actually left a couple days ago for Central America. Some suit wanted her to find some art crap for him. She of course agreed and now I'm stuck here, bored. That was until now." He smirked.

"Yeah well, sorry if I'm not the greatest of company Case. I'm not exactly feeling up to snuff."

"I can tell. You run into Leo or something?" He said as a joke but saw her face instantly change and knew he was right. "Oh…What happened?"

"We fought because I'm an idiot and my head caught up with my heart before my heart could stop me from saying all the horrible things that left my mouth."

"What did you say?"

"I don't know. Something along the lines that we're not together because he's there and I'm miserable without him. I miss him, I love him…"

"Those don't seem like horrible things, you were being honest. Leo will respect that."

"Yeah, but I said I couldn't take it anymore…The waiting and loving him. I think that's how he took it at least? And then I couldn't fix what I said because I had to do my mission." She sighed. "Then I gave my guns back and quit."

"For good?"

"Yeah. For good."

"You still have your katanas though." He said looking over his shoulder at them hanging on her wall. "And that whole I can kill you with my hand thing going for ya." He chuckled. She managed a smile. "There's that smile." He said nudging her shoulder. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah….Thanks Casey."

Her mind raced with what had happened in Central America. The waterfall, his touch, his kiss. She smiled grazing the top of her bottle over her bottom lip as if she could still feel him. She closed her eyes as with a sigh and put her head back. She knew it was for the better of his family he was there. She knew it was selfish to want him back. She knew it was stupid to go back to her old life she tried to long to shake.

Going back just made it more certain she needed to stay away. She hated it. Having a gun on her made her feel dirty. She went back to her hotel waiting for her flight and scrubbed herself for an hour in steaming water. She couldn't stand it, any of it. She needed to fight for her, not for them. She growled at her self conflict and picked her head up running her fingers through her short chocolate brown hair.

"I think I'm gonna call it a night." She said patting Casey shoulder and using it to stand up. He nodded his head with a worried face as he watched his love sick friend walk up the stairs.

She made her way to her bedroom, stopping at Emma's first knocking on it lightly. No answer. She sighed and went up stairs, collapsing on her bed.

Samantha woke up looking over at her alarm clock reading 8am. She rolled her eyes at her body's persistence to wake up early even when she knew she was still tired. She got out of bed, making her way down her empty apartment to make coffee. She turned on the TV as the morning news had a report about the Nightwatcher and his accomplish. She smiled sipping her coffee, standing in front of the TV.

"Sam?" A fimillar voice said from the stairs. She turned with a smile as Emma stood, her hair a mess of blonde on her head. Sam couldn't help but laugh at her little sister's persona.

"Rough night?" She questioned in a sarcastic tone.

"Something like that." Emma said clearing her throat.

"What are you doing up, it's not noon yet."

"Ha yeah, well Mikey want…ed…Pancakes." She said biting her lip as she said his name.

"Mikey?"

"Yeah, kinda had a sleep over last night."

"A sleep…ov…Oh…I see." Sam said putting two and two together. "Well, um…You know better than I do where everything is." Sam said not knowing how to react in this situation.

"Yeah." Emma said with a nervous laugh. She went to the kitchen as Mikey jobbed down the stairs. His face was happier than usual making Sam shake her head with a smile. He stopped in his tracks as he saw her.

"Sammy?!" He said running up to her and hugging her.

"Hey Mikey. Have fun with my sister last night?" She said raising her eyebrow towards him. He dropped her instantly and took a step back, as Emma dropped a coffee mug in the kitchen.

"Don't hurt him Sammy, he's… I love him." Emma said running into the living room.

"You love him?"

"You love me?" Mikey said with the same shocked expression as Samantha. Emma smiled and graced her finger down Mike's arm.

"Yeah I think I do…" He turned towards her going in for a kiss but stopped as Sam still stood bewildered.

"Hey…I'm not here." She said sitting on the couch. Mike smiled and kissed the girl he loved. "Congratulations you too. Maybe yours won't go off to the jungle." Sam laughed.

"Did you see Leo there?" Emma asked sitting next to her sister. Sam sighed and forced a fake smile towards her sister.

"So…Pancakes?" Sam said getting up. Emma watched her and looked at Mikey with a worried face. Sam went to the kitchen and looked around the cabinets for the contents to make pancakes. Emma sighed leaning against the counter watching Sam. She stopped and looked over at her. "What?"

"What happened?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Sam said softly.

"Talking will make you feel better." Emma said as Mikey nodded his head sitting at the table. Sam sighed again and shook her head.

"I'm fine." She smiled a fake smile again. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. I'll make the pancakes, you suck at cooking." Emma said shoving her sister over away from the mixing bowl.

"I'm gonna go for a run." She sighed going to her room to grab her gear.

Sam left the apartment, she needed to get away from her home already and she's only been back a day. She put her headphones in her ear and jogged through the streets. She made her way to Central Park and stopped catching her breath. She put her hands on her knees as her eyes caught a manhole in an alleyway across the street. She picked her head up looking around her and walked towards it.

She made her way to the lair pulling on the pipe to open the door. It was quiet besides the pinball machine's constant annoying music. She walked down the stairs and saw Donatello in a room filled with monitors, rubbing his head. She smiled and walked over to him touching his shoulder lightly. He jumped a little and grabbed her hand looking up at her.

"Sam!" He said getting to his feet and wrapping her in a hug. She smiled hugging him back.

"Hey Donnie."

"When did you get back?"

"Last night." Donnie smiled with a nod and opened his arm for her to follow him into the kitchen.

"Can I get you something? Some tea?" She smiled shaking her head.

"No thanks Donnie." They were silent for awhile as Sam looked at the counter noticing an opened letter. She furrowed her brow walking over to it looking at the envelope's penmanship. "Leo wrote?"

"Yeah. Got it yesterday." Donnie smiled. She nodded her head and opened the letter reading it. "He mentioned you. Did you see…"

"Yeah." She said putting the letter down with a sigh.

"Oh, that good huh?" He said with a sorry face.

"Yeah…That _good_." She picked up her head as she heard Splinter's walking stick tap softly on the cement.

"Samantha. It is good to see such a familiar face again." Splinter smiled. She leaned down giving him a gentle hug.

"I wanted to come by and see how you were doing." She smiled.

"We're fine." Splinter said smiling towards his son. Don nodded his head.

"Good, that's good to hear."

"You've seen my Leonardo." He said softly. She looked at him surprised by hearing Leo's name and nodded her head slowly. "How was he?" Splinter asked trying to mask his concern for his eldest son.

"He's…Fine." She said trying to choose her words carefully.

"As he would be." Splinter nodded his head. "I am sure you have much to do other than sit around here and speak with an elderly rat." Splinter said turning to walk away. Sam smiled and took his arm helping him to his room.

"Nonsense." She said with a smile as he smiled back patting her hand. "You're family. I'm never too busy for family."

"That is wonderful to hear my child." Splinter said as he kneeled down at his table. Sam went to leave. "Wait a moment Samantha." Splinter said holding up a hand. She turned back and kneeled in front of him. "I want it to be clear that I did not send Leonardo away because of you." Sam picked her head up about to dispute that fact that she did not think that at all but he held up his hand. "I am fully aware of Leonardo's feelings towards you. His leadership skills were being compromised by him not being able to control his emotions. Not just towards you, but towards his brothers and some mistake in judgments. They were unable to perform as a team and caused more harm amongst themselves than to those who caused harm to others." Sam nodded her head.

"I understand Master Splinter. Leonardo leaving was necessary for him and for his family." Sam said with a serious face. Splinter softened his expressions with a smile.

"Just to hear you say that I know Leonardo will be very pleased once he returns." Sam forced a smile trying to hid the sadness behind it. "I have a feeling it will be sooner than you think my child." She sighed nodding her head and getting up from the floor closing Splinter's door shut. She walked over to Donnie as he looked up at her from fixing one of his gadgets.

"Leaving?" He smirked.

"Yeah. I'm gonna finish my run." She said patting his shoulder. "I'll see you later."

"Later." He said returning to his gadget.


	18. Chapter 18

Alright so.Quick little tid bit before we get into this. DISCLAIMER if you will.

I don't own TMNT the movie, nor do I own the lines from it. I am basing this fic story before and during the 2007 CGI version of TMNT. So don't sue me. Some of these lines are not mine, they belong to those who wrote TMNT. And those who did are bitchin. So...Congratulations on being bitchin, and rich. I am not. If I was I wouldn't be writing fic! I'd be making bitchin movies like you! haha.

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The night air was cold but she didn't care. She accepted the cold against her skin and stood on a roof top watching over the bustling streets below. She had no rules, no regulations, no time, no missions. Just her and the City fighting against one another. It threw creep after creep at her and she took it, no problem. It had been a long time since she smiled during a fight. It had only been a couple of hours but, news of the Nightwatcher and his new accomplice made them want to try their hand at her. She smirked to herself as she saw them jump a roof top in front of her, police lights forcing away their shadows. She followed them, keeping close as they stopped at a four way intersection. 

He leaned up against a heating duct as she sat on the edge of the building. They talked, about something Samantha couldn't see. She saw Casey come out of the shadows as Frankie shoved him lightly. Then the Nightwatcher caught Sam's eyes. He walked over slowly to the edge of the building as she jumped down, raising slowly.

"I came to join the party." She quipped as Frankie dabbed her hand.

"I knew you would. See that's what I was talkin' about. I knew I wouldn't be bored for long." Casey chuckled.

"Hey Raph." She said with a nod towards Raphael as he took off his Nightwatcher helmet and nodded his head back.

"Sup?"

"Not much." She said with a smirk. "Got three guys already, how about yourselves?" She said crossing her arms and leaning back against the same heating duct.

"Three already?" Casey said with a shock expression.

"I had a little pent up aggression I needed to work out." She said clearing her throat. "I mean the whole reason I came back to this City was to help you two clowns in the first place." She said with a chuckle. Casey laughed too putting a bat over his shoulder as he noticed the time on his watch.

"Ah man. I gotta get back guys. April is gonna kill me!" He said walking over to the fire escape.

"You're so whipped man." Raph chuckled as Frankie raised an eyebrow to him.

"Whats wrong with that?" She said crossing her arms. Sam chuckled as Raph glared over at her and she cleared her throat trying to hide it.

"Everythin'! You're gonna tell me you like being tied down to someone and havin' all these rules to follow and not be a free sprit?" Raph said crossing his arms and walking closer to her. She jumped down from the edge and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Are you guys gonna make out because if so please tell me so I can leave?" Sam said looking away from her friends. Frankie smiled and turned towards Sam.

"Well now I want to just to piss you off."

"My point exactly!" Raph said stepping back from her.

There was a massive crash through the building below them as Frankie and Sam ran to the edge looking at the streets. They saw a horse type animal crash through the window onto the streets as people ran screaming from the building. Frankie and Sam looked at each other in question as they watched the beast run from the building.

"We gotta stop that thing!" Frankie said jumping on the ledge as Sam already made her way to the pavement below. Frankie rolled her eyes irritated as Raphael put his helmet back on following Sam. "Ok, now you two are just doing it on purpose!" Frankie said jumping down.

Sam ran through the streets, flipping onto the bed of a truck to get a better view of anything ahead of her. She heard screams to her left and jumped down as Raphael already turned the corner. She ran along side him as Frankie took the lead. They all slide to a stop as they saw a one eyed monster snap its head back towards them. Sam's eyes widened as Frankie braced herself in a stance.

"See…" Sam whispered towards Raph. "I told you I've seen worse things than a giant turtle." The beast threw his arms back in a yell that echoed through the alleyway. It charged towards them as Raphael threw a chain in the air, putting his arm around Frankie as he jumped up out of the way. Sam flipped to the side, somersaulting across the cement ground. She balanced herself to a stop narrowing her eyes at the creature and ran towards it as a chain wrapped around her waist. She was brought up to a fire escape as Frankie pulled her over the railing.

"Are you crazy?" Raph hissed through his helmet.

"What is that thing?" She said looking down at it.

"I've been hearing some weird things around town but this is just ridiculous." Frankie said shaking her head. Police sirens rang through the streets as Frankie, Sam and Raph all made their way back to Sam and Frankie's apartment roof top.

"You should get home Raph." Sam said turning to walk down the fire escape. Frankie nodded her head as she waited for her friend to be out of sight. She smiled and pressed her lips to his as he gripped her body tighter to his own.

"Good night, Nightwatcher." She smirked, gliding her lips over his. She stepped away as she watched him fade into the night.

He made his way through the sewers, stopping before he got to the lair and putting his Nightwatcher suit in a duffle bag he kept on Sam's roof. He threw it over his shoulder as he entered his home. It was dark with the only light coming from the TV, as usual. Don and Mikey were fast asleep on the couch as he sneaked his way past them going to his room and putting away his Nightwatcher suit. He heard the lair door open and shut and narrowed his eyes, keeping to the darkness of the hallway and looking over the railing. His eyes widened as he crouched down, keeping hidden and trying to catch his breath.

Leonardo stood with a small smile watching his brothers sleep. He looked over his shoulder as candle light from his father's room danced in shadows across the opened door. He sighed and walked in, hesitating at first. Splinter's eyes were shut as his voice was deep and comforting to Leonardo, making him walk towards him kneeling before his father.

Raphael watched Leo enter his Father's room and jumped down over the railing. He peered inside the room as he watched Splinter hand his brother a trinket. Raphael narrowed his eyes as Splinter said his name.

"Raphael you're brother is home." Splinter said with a smile. He watched as Leo smiled uncomfortably at Raph. He showed his normal expression towards Leonardo. He wanted to just reach out and slam his brother's head against the wall or hug him, he couldn't decide which.

"Hey." Leo said with a smile.

"Hey…Uh…Welcome home."

"Yeah…Thanks." Leo answered awkwardly. Raph couldn't take much more of this.

"Welp, I'm going to bed." He said with a fake yawn as he walked away eyeing his brother. He flipped over a magazine that was on Donnie's head. "Hey, Leo's back. Better say hello before he leaves again." He heard his brother's happiness as they saw their eldest brother home again. Raph shook his head as he walked to his room, slamming his door shut.

He growled taking the bag that was on his floor and tossing is against his wall. _Leo comes back and everything goes back to the way it was again? All happy and smiles just because we're a "family" again. News flash Leo! We haven't been a family for years now._ Raph growled again punching his wall as before he fell back on his bed. _Its never gonna be the same, not now. Not after everythin'. He can go ahead and think that if he wants but I'll be damned if I'm gonna play into his bullshit. _

Samantha toweled her hair dry as she walked out of her bathroom. She stopped noticing her window was open. She narrowed her eyes, looking around her bedroom, seeing nothing but her curtains blow with the city wind. She walked over to the window closing it as she turned around seeing Leo stand a foot away from her. She gasped as he grabbed her, pressing his lips against hers. Her mind caught up with her body as she wrapped her arms around him pulling herself as close to him as possible. She wanted to cry, she wanted to never let go. He pulled away from her lips and she demanded them back on hers. He smiled against her lips as she walked him back on her bed. She fell on his body as he fell back on the bed. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist as he pulled back again gasping for air.

"Sam, I need to breathe."

"You can breathe later." She smiled kissing him again put pulled back suddenly looking at him. "Wait." She said getting off of him as he sat up with a concerned face.

"What?"

"You're back." He smiled raising an eye ridge to her.

"What was your first clue?" He chuckled. She narrowed her eyes at him and he stopped lifting up his hand for her to take it. She did as he pulled her closer to his body. She smiled down at him as she ran her hands along his shoulders, down his arms. "I'm back." He smiled.

"We can't get wrapped up in one another Leonardo, you have…" He put his hand over her mouth as she rolled her eyes.

"Will you not worry about that now." He said pulling her onto his lap. She put her head down on his shoulder as he kissed her forehead.

"I'm able to do both. You're not the reasoning behind me leaving. It was a long time coming." Leo sighed. "I needed to get away for awhile, clear my head but not of you. You were always there." He smiled leaning down and kissing her lips. She leaned up, straddling his waist, opening her lips against his. He gripped his hands on her hips as she rocked them slightly against his lap. "I missed you." He said softly, gliding his lips along the nape of her neck breathing in her scent. She closed her eyes as he continued to kiss down the skin on her chest. He pushed up her tank top feeling the soft skin underneath lifting her arms above her head and tossing the fabric to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her, picking her up and placing her back softly against her bed pressing his body in between her legs.

"I love you." She said softly looking up at him. He smiled and kissed her lips pulling back from them slowly.

"So you take forever?" He whispered in her ear. She smiled nodding her head.

"I'm yours Leonardo." She whispered, leaning up and kissing his neck closing her lips on his sensitive skin. He closed his eyes and opened them, looking back into hers as he smiled. She was his again.

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kinda mushy...But i like mushy. 


	19. Chapter 19

Just a quick warning. The first half is from the TMNT cgi version. If you haven't seen it yet good, go ahead and read. But, for those of you who have I re-wrote some things but mainly its the same until the middle. It's needed though.

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Leonardo waited for night fall to round up his brothers for small training session topside. He figured it's been awhile since his brothers have left the lair, especially Donnie. They all stood on a roof top, Donatello and Michelangelo stretching out their muscles before their long awaited work out. Raphael sat bored as he watched his younger brothers. 

"Alright Leo, I'll bite. What are we doing up here?"

"I told Splinter I'd get this team in shape again."

"I've been training. Since you've been gone by video game scores have like doubled." Mikey said sitting up from a sit up as his legs hung over a latter to a water tank.

"Right…And when you've been training little brother these so called vigilantes running through this city as if they own it are going to end up killing themselves."

"Oh, just because your back this city needs no otha help?" Raph said putting his arm over his knee as he sat.

"Their lucky they have lasted this long."

"They're doin' just fine without anyone's help. I didn't see you out here protectin' this City." Raph said jumping down from his seat and stepping inches away from Leo. "Oh that's right, you were off on your little vacation for your _trainin'_."

There was a roar echoing through the City as Raphael and Leonardo turned their heads in the direction of the noise. Mikey falling from his position on the latter and jumping to his feet as his brothers ran over to the side of the building.

"Whoa, someone's cranky." Mikey said leaning on the edge of the building.

"Ok Jungle boy, grab a vine." Raph said as he leaped over the roof top on to a crane.

"Raph wait, Splinter told us not to fight!" Leo yelled after him. Don shrugged his shoulders as he leaped over the side as Mikey followed.

"Ha, jungle boy, good one." Mikey chuckled as Leo rolled his eyes with a frustrated sigh.

"Alright, but we're only up here for training."

"You know what I always say, train by doing dude."

"Mikey, that wasn't you that was Mr. Miyagi."

"Oh yeah…"

"Smell that? It's like a monkey cage up here….Whoa…"

Foot Ninja flew through the air over the boy's heads as they scaled the side of the building.

"Well, I'd say he's a worthy adversary to join our team how about you bros?" Mikey said looking over at his older brothers as they saw a blue oversized gorilla toss Foot Ninja effortlessly away from him.

"Mikey, when did you learn a word like adversary?"

"Word of the day calendar dude." Donnie rolled his eyes at his little brother. He moved out of the way as a Foot Ninja threw past him.

"We have to do something." He said looked over at Leo. Leo stood in a strong stance as his arms were crossed tight against his plastron.

"Why? They deserve the butt whoopin of their lives! I say we enjoy the show, what do you say fearless leader?" Mikey asked leaning over a bag of cement looking over a Leonardo. He went to speak as his hot headed brother interrupted.

"I say we stop talkin'!" Raph said lunging towards the gorilla. Mikey smiled jumping to his feet and following his older brother. Donnie leaped over a stack of piled up cement using his bo staff and joined his brothers. Leo glared at his disobedient siblings slamming his fist down on a cement turner and jumping in the fight.

"You!" A familiar voice said from his side as he leaped back away from her slashing katana blade. She moved quickly as he was running out of room. He caught her blade with his hand and shoved it away as she flipped backwards taking a stance. "Maybe he won't be so easy on you, as I was." She smiled under her mask as she and her Foot Ninja left the brothers to be beaten and maimed by the beast that was attacking them.

"Little help o fearless one!" Raph yelled from the other side of the building as Leo watched Karai's body fly gracefully through the air. He turned his direction towards the fight, running to his brother's aid.

Raphael kicked the beast as it fell through a floor below theirs. He smiled looking over the edge as the beast jumped up, swinging its hand coming in contact with Raph's body as he flew through the air crashing through wooden support beams, his shell slamming up against a steal one, stopping this body abrubtly.

"Bad dog." He growled as Mikey and Donnie ran to attack. Their bodies slammed up against the beast as it swiped its hand to push them away. Mikey flipped out of its way as Donnie slid across the floor, catching himself on a beam with his bo staff from falling down an elevator shaft.

Leonardo jumped on the beast's back gripping his hands into its blue hair, as it sung its body to get him off. It rolled across the floor, as Mikey and Donnie took a stance seeing the beast's massive body roll towards them. It took their bodies with it across the floor, falling through a weakened spot near the edge of the building. Raph jumped down the next floor, watching his brother's limbs flail around the beast. He jumped over the side, looking over and watching his brother's crash through floor after floor. He pushed the air, increasing his speed as it caught his sais on a rope, sliding down it and landing on one knee to balance himself from the impact. He looked up as he heard the pounding of the beast's body against the structures floors. He flipped out of the way as it came crashing through the ceiling as his brother's bodies rolled away from the beast.

"Ah, this place needed a skylight." He joked smiling over at his brothers as they all took a stance.

"Anymore bright ideas?" Donnie asked gripping nervously onto his bo staff.

"How about this?" Mikey said looking over at his equally worried brother and jumping onto him with a scream, tossing his nunchakus in their air. Raph and Leo placed their weapons in front of them holding their stance as they looked up, putting their hands over their heads as a large piece of the ceiling fell down over them.

Leo struggled to lift the weight above. He couldn't feel or hear his brother's and felt something turn in his stomach. He struggled harder as he felt Mikey pushing up as well.

"Mikey, you alright?"

"Yeah bro. You?"

"Yeah… Donnie?!" Leo yelled from under the ceiling.

"Yeah Leo, I'm here."

"Shut up and push!" Raph snapped as his voice was strained. The others pushed as the piece of ceiling lifted off their bodies. They jumped to their feet and ran over to the side of the building.

"Where'd it go?" Mikey asked snatching the back of his neck.

"How can something that big just disappear…It doesn't…" They all heard a police siren ring through the streets as the lights bounced along the broken wood and cement around them. "Uh, oh."

"Dude it's the cops!" Mikey said running to the streets. Leo followed as Raph looked through the area once more checking to make sure nothing was missed. He caught up with his brother's as Donnie opened a manhole, Leo and Mikey jumping in. Leo picked his head out as he didn't see Don or Raph jump in with them. Raph looked back at a truck leaving as he stood on the hood of a broken down car.

"Raph…RAPH!" Leo yelled at his brother as Raphael growled turning away from the truck and jumping inside the manhole.

They all walked back to the lair in silence as Leo led them. His thoughts remained on his brother's lack of listening and ability to follow orders. It was their first night out as a team again, things were supposed to be a little shaky. But that was not expected.

"Be prepared for an early morning tomorrow." He growled as he opened the lair's door. Mikey walked by with his head down as Donnie followed. Raphael glared at his brother as he walked by him, Leonardo returning it.

The next day Frankie went to the lair to visit with Raphael. She hadn't seen or heard from him since earlier yesterday and wondered if something was the matter. Usually she would have seen him last night, knocking on her window to go out for some vigilant crime fighting, which was her way to wean her from being a trained assassin.

She walked down the large concrete stairs case looking around the lair. It seemed different some how. There was a weird feeling, subtle but familiar in a lot of ways. She reached the bottom step and frowned as she saw Michelangelo on the couch, wrapped up in his video game.

"Hey Mikey, you seen…Leo!" She said as she looked up seeing Leonardo emerge from the dojo. He stopped and looked up at her with a questionable look.

"Yeah, he's right there Frankie." Mikey said with a huff. Leonardo walked over to her as he crossed his arms over his plastron.

"Well, I was going to say Raph, but wow…Hey."

"Hey." Leo said with a slight head nod.

"When did you…"

"Two nights ago."

"Oh, have you…"

"Yes, I saw Samantha."

"Good. She must be happy." Frankie said offering him a smile to get him out of his stubborn look. He nodded his head.

"Raphael went out after we had a talk about our mission last night with Master Splinter. I'm not sure where. If you go out to find him, tell him he needs to return home, now."

"Oh, yeah. Sure Leo." She said with another smile as his face remained stern and unchanging. She pressed her lips tight together and nodded her head. "See you around, guys."

"Bye Frankie." Mikey called from the couch. She sighed, making her way to the stairs.

_That explains a lot._ She said to herself, realizing the reasoning behind Raphael not coming to get her the night before. She picked her head up noticing Samantha walking down them. She smiled as Sam did the same.

"Be careful, Leo's in a pissy mood." She warned softly to her friend who smirked and nodded her head.

"Thanks, I think I can handle him." She said with a nudge as she walked the rest of the way, jogging over to the couch and jumping over the side next to Mikey. Mikey smiled.

"Hey babe." He said as she looked over at Leo.

"Hey Mikey. I thought I'd stop by before I went to pick up Jordon at the train station." Leo nodded his head as he sat on the other side of Michelangelo. His arms still crossed tight to his plastron as his hands gripped tightly to his biceps. Sam bit her bottom lip, knowing something was eating away at him. She looked at Mikey with a smile until she grabbed his attention.

"What?"

"Nothing, um… I think Emma might have left some of her paint brushes in your room. She was looking every where for them this morning. Can you go check for me?"

"Yeah sure just, can I beat this level first I…"

"It would be great if you did it now…?" She said with a small smile as Mikey paused his game and got up from his seat between her and his older brother.

"Yeah, sure Sammy." He said running to the stairs. She watched him leave as she turned her attention over to Leonardo his glare never leaving the space in front of him. She sighed as she moved into the seat next to him. He broke out of his glare and looked over at her, aware that her warmth was next to him. It felt wonderful, breaking him out of his million of worries running through his head, most of them still remaining on Raphael. She leaned over and kissed his cheek softly as a small smile came across his face.

"Hi."

"Hey."

"How ya doing Aoiro?" She asked with a pat on the shoulder. He smiled to the nickname and shrugged.

"I'm not sure anymore. I left to become a better leader for them, and if I'm back and none of them, especially Raph don't listen then how I am supposed to bring this team back together. The whole reason why I left was because we were falling apart. Raphael wasn't listening, Donnie and Mike were more concern with Emma and Jordon than training. It was a mess. Nothings changed. They have jobs now too which adds to the insanity of actually conforming this team once again and all that pressure of doing so rests solely on my shoulders. How fair is that? I'm only one turtle; I can only do so much. It's…" He sighed rubbing his temple as Samantha started to message the back of his neck. He relaxed his tension and moved closer against her body. "The two days I've been back Raphael has been throwing that fact that i left in my face. Like, it was a personal vacation for me. Like I enjoyed it! It was a training mission. I barely slept and my entirety of thinking remained on this household and my brothers. You too, of course but I mean my mission was for me to leave and find myself so I could come back and be stronger for them. I have and I will, but I can't keep fighting against the current that is Raphael's disobedience. He needs to grow up and just accept that fact that this is how it's going to be." Leonardo said crossing his arms again.

"Maybe you should talk to him about it." Sam added putting her elbow on her bent knee as she sat next to him gliding her finger tips along the back of his neck. He sighed as she watched his chest raise and fall harshly with his breath. "Raphael is a strong, good hearted,_stubborn_ guy. He's not going to give into you that easily. Especially since you left Leo. You leaving was really hard on him. He'll never admit that to anyone but I could see it, so couldn't Frankie. He changed. And now that you're back, something he pushed out of his mind from happening he doesn't know how to react except to push you away and get angry. The way he acts whenever he confronts an emotion head on. It's just how Raphael deals with things." Leo sighed and nodded his head.

"I'm aware. I just don't know how I'm going to go about this without starting another unnecessary fight."

"Maybe you should fight. You're going to end up doing it anyways. Maybe it should be done now so it's not over filling with anger towards one another and you don't do something one of the might regret." Leonardo nodded his head in agreement as Samantha smile. "You two always fight, you always have and you always will and in the end you two forgive one another and make up because you're brothers and you two don't exactly have the best ways of dealing with emotions other than to beat it out of one another." Sam said with a smirk and raised eyebrow as Leo looked over at her.

"I handle my emotions just fine thank you."

"Of course you do Aoiro." She smirked kissing his cheek. "And besides once you fight with Raphael you have some left over aggression that usually leads somewhere with me." She smirked as her lips lingered against his skin. "Please don't take that away from me." He smiled, turning his head as she pressed her lips against his. He moved in closer to her a he heard the running foot steps of Mikey's feet coming down the stairs. He growled in frustration against her lips as she smiled leaning back.

"I didn't find them, but I found like three games that I was missing!" Mikey said as Sam smiled with a nod.

"Thanks anyways Mikey. Well, I better go pick up Jordon. I'm sure her and Emma will come by later." She got up from the couch kissing Leo on the head and nudging Mikey on the shoulder as she walked by. "Now, don't you two stop being adorable!" She smiled as she walked up the stairs.

"Hear that, she called me adorable. She totally digs me." Mikey said as she sat next to Leo who rolled his eyes shoving his little brother so he fell off the couch.

"Keep telling yourself that Mikey."


	20. Chapter 20

Frankie heard a rapping at her window knowing already without turning around who it was. She prepared herself with a sigh as she opened the window for him. Raphael stepped in walking pas her, towards the middle of the room. She closed the window and watched him as he stood, arms crossed watching her intently.

"Hey Big Red." She smiled walking over to him.

"Saw Leo huh?" He asked, gritting his teeth at his name. She nodded her head and rubbed his arm softly.

"You two fight already?" She asked sitting on the end of her bed as he joined her with a huff.

"Not really. I've been trying to avoid him altogether."

"Why?"

"Because, I just am alright?" He said getting up from her bed immediately.

"Hey, I'm not the enemy here remember?" She said in a slight glare towards him.

"Yeah, I got that." She rolled her eyes at his persistent stance to not face her. She walked over to him grabbing his arm and pulling him in towards her. He went willingly as he put his head on her shoulder. "Wanna go out?" He asked as she smiled nodding her head.

They made their way to Casey's apartment as Frankie waited on the roof. Raphael climbed down the fire escape as Raphael whispered for Casey.

"What's the big emergency?" Casey asked grabbing his bat and mask from a chimney on his and April's roof.

"I don't know. Something tells me…Whoa!" Raphael said as a huge bat like creature flew over their heads. "Come on!" He said before taking off after it. Frankie jumped to a run as Casey followed close behind them. Their fluid movements were graceful as Frankie and Raphael ran side by side over chimneys and heating ducts on the roof tops ahead of them. Casey pushing himself to keep up.

The creature went out of sight as Raphael and Frankie stopped at the ledge of a roof top. She scanned the area around her looking for the skies to see anything. Casey crouched down with Raphael as they searched the surrounding areas and roof tops.

"It has to be here somewhere." Frankie said narrowing her eyes.

"I don't think so." Casey added, trying to catch his breath.

Frankie and Raphael jumped back as the flying creature popped up, gripping onto the ledge of the building. They watched it fall smashing the roof of a blue old broken down car. Frankie looked over at Raphael as they both looked at Casey.

"What's going on guys?" He asked his eyes never leaving the creature on the car.

"Did we mention we ran into a monster the other night?" Raphael asked as Frankie winced with a smile. Casey narrowed his eyes shoving the bat into Raphael's shoulder.

"No you failed to tell me about that one _buddy_." Frankie rolled her eyes shoving him away. "You do know I only have a wooden bat don't you?" Frankie and Raph ignored his question as Foot Ninja started to move from the alleyways. The creature started to stir on the roof of the car, struggling to move free as the Foot held the ropes around it's body tighter. "The Foot? I thought they were history!" Casey said looking over Frankie's shoulder. She shook her head trying to focus on the images below.

Through the alleyway four walking statues started to emerge from the street, high beams from a truck eliminating behind them. Raphael and Frankie watched them intently as her eyes widened in shock.

"And now there's walking statues…You got a plan for those?" Casey asked looking over at Raph.

"Uh…Yeah hey, those are a first for me too. And who knows maybe they're friendly?" Raphael said with a shrug watching the statues as one of them took a trash dumpster, slamming it down over the body of the weakened creature.

"Hahaha, Friendly…" Casey chuckled nervously. They removed the dumpster from the creature as it lay not moving on the concrete ground. "Wait a second, those statues look…whoa." Casey said leaning over the ledge as a piece of the cement fell onto the broken car below. The statues and Foot looked above as Raphael, Frankie and Casey all winced to being seen. Frankie narrowed her eyes shoving Casey.

"Way to go Jones."

"Witnesses…" One of the statues said as he started to climb the building. Foot Ninja shot darts into the air at them as Raphael protected Frankie, as she pulled Casey behind her. Raphael fell on her more than he would have liked losing his balances as a dart stuck out of his bicep. Frankie furrowed her brow looking up into his face as his eyes looked dizzy.

"Raph..?" She said shaking him slightly. He shook out of it, looking over his shoulder as he noticed the statue coming up the building at a faster pace. He reached into his belt pulling out a smoke pellet as it exploded around him, Frankie and Casey. Frankie ran with Raphael as Casey lagged behind.

Frankie turned around noticed Casey on the roof ledge still as she whistled for him. He looked around him and jumped into a run as she dodged behind a heating duct with Raphael. He grabbed Casey by the arm pulling him into hiding.

"What, you never heard of smoke pellets?" He asked as Frankie looked over the side.

"Warn me next time. I got allergies!" Casey coughed as they moved again into a tool shed. Frankie sighed pacing as Casey and Raphael braced themselves against the door.

"He'll never find us in here." Raphael sighed as he fell forward to something putting a dent in the metal door. Casey and Raphael pushed on the door as the stature pushed back. Frankie put her back on the door, pushing fiercely down on the floor with her legs trying to keep the door from opening. Raphael's groans made her want to push harder, trying to help him out.

The roof floor started to vibrate as a helicopter circled the building, as the statue retreated. Raphael fell forward as Frankie and Casey sighed in relief.

"Yeah you better run!" Casey said as he looked over at Frankie with a smile as she laughed slapping him five. They both turned around, their smiles fading as they saw Raphael not moving on the floor. Frankie dropped to her knees touching his face.

"Raph…" She whispered as Casey sighed.

"Ah man, we gotta get him somewhere safe." Frankie nodded as Casey took one of Raph's arm, throwing it over his shoulder. Frankie pushed herself to throw Raphael's other around her shoulder holding him up.

They walked careful not to toss him around too much worrying something might break. They brought him to Frankie and Sam's apartment on the roof as she ran down the fire escape knocking on the window.

Emma was watching TV on the couch as she looked over at the window noticing Frankie waving her hand frantically. Jordon looked up from her book raising an eyebrow to her.

"I think Frankie's trying to play charades." Emma chuckled. Jordon rolled her eyes putting down her book and glasses and got up from the couch opening the window.

"Raphael…" Frankie said with a breath.

"What about Raph?" Samantha said walking slowly down the stairs using a tone she learned from Leo.

"He's hurt." Samantha's face saddened as she followed Frankie to the roof. She saw Raphael unconscious, Casey kneeling next to him. Samantha kneeled down, putting her hand to his neck checking his pulse. She sighed in relief looking up at Casey.

"Can you help me get him inside?" Casey nodded his head as Frankie walked over to help as well. The three brought Raphael inside as Emma jumped to her feet, taking pillows from the sofa and placing them on the floor. "Jordon, call the April tell her to come over." Jordon nodded her head as Emma bit her nails nervously.

"What about Mikey and Don?" Emma asked looking down at Samantha worried

"Emma you call them. Here…" Sam said taking out her cell phone and handing it to her. Emma nodded her head and dialed the number.

"April's on her way." Jordon said making her way over to her big sister.

"Good." Casey sighed.

"Hi Don, it's Emma. Something happened to Raph." Emma said as she paced the floor.

"Emma? What happened to Raph?" Donnie asked from the other line.

"I don't know he's unconscious, just please come over." Emma pleaded.

"We'll be there." Donnie said hanging up.

Emma and Jordon sat on the couch as they watched April and Frankie sit next to Raphael. Casey took a chair from the kitchen and sat watching his green best friend intently. Samantha stood, looking down at Raphael in a daze.

"Leo!" April said as Leonardo came through the window with his brother's behind him, breaking Sam out of her daze. Jordon and Emma smiled for a moment seeing that Leo had returned, exclaiming his name out loud as well.

"Sorry the reunion isn't under better circumstances." He said with a sorry face as he walked into the room. Donnie walked past him over to Raph checking to make sure he was ok.

"Pupil dilatation is normal….Whoa…" He said turning Raphael slightly to see something sticking out of his shell. He took out a pair of tweezers, removing it. He examined it as Leonardo crouched down with a worried face touching Raphael's arm.

"Well, is he gonna be ok?" He asked as Raphael shoved his arm away.

"You still here? Go back to your jungle." He said sleepily.

"Well…at least his personality is still intact." Leo said looking up at Sam. She smirked slightly as Leonardo stood when Donnie handed the stone over to April who examined it.

"Did I mention those statues you got for that Winters guy was throwing these things at me and Raph?"

"Winters?" Samantha repeated as Casey nodded his head.

"He's the reason I went to Central America to find statues." April said not taking her eyes off the stone.

"I worked for him before. Big guy, dark hair?" Sam asked. April nodding her head. "He asked you to get him statues?" April nodded her head again staring at the object in her hand harshly.

"The ledged…It can't be, it was just a story told to little kids around a campfire."

"April…What are you talking about?" Leonardo asked. April went into explanation about a great warrior three thousand years ago, that opened a portal to another dimension having monsters escape and wreak havoc upon our world till this day. Now, he's having the monsters return to the portal and create an army.

"Well if you ask me guys, this has Winters name written all over it."

"How do you figure that Don?" Leonardo asked.

"Yeah." Emma and Mikey said in unison.

"Because this has Winters name written all over it."

"Now I know who to thank for the shot in the arm." Raph said was he watched Jordon make a dressing around his wound. "How do we find this Winters guy?"

"We're not doing anything until we get Splinter's blessing." Leonardo said crossing his arms. Samantha looked over at him. Raphael rolled his eyes sitting up from his chair.

"You're gonna stand there and quote a rule book to me that you ain't been followin' for a year?" Frankie looked over at Raph, as Jordon took a step away from him.

"Look, Raph you want to get something off your shell now's the time. But, I'm not gonna stand here and debate Splinters direct orders with you!" Samantha looked over at Frankie as Frankie narrowed her eyes on Leonardo.

"Fine then… I quit." Raphael said walking past him. Frankie rolled her eyes following him.

"Raph, wait." She said as they both climbed the fire escape.

"Well, that went well." Donnie said from the table. Leonardo narrowed his eyes at him as he walked down the hall slamming the bathroom door shut. Don frowned getting up from his chair as Samantha held up her hand.

"I got it Don." She smiled as he sat back down, nodding his head. Samantha walked into the bathroom closing the door behind her as Leonardo sat on the edge of the bathtub, holding his head in his hands. She sighed sitting next to him.

"That didn't go so well…"

"Tell me about it."

"We have to find out what's going on with Winters. Let's go back to the lair and see what Splinter has to say. If he disagrees, at least we can gather some information. Maybe Frankie and myself can handle it." She said with a shrug. "And Raphael, he'll come around. He just needs some time too cool off." Leo sighed, nodding his head getting up. Samantha smiled looking up at him grazing his hand softly with her own as he stopped looking down at her. A small smirk played over his mouth as he leaned down kissing her lips softly.

"Raphael! Will you slow down!" Frankie yelled as she jumped another roof top trying to catch up with Raph who ran frantically ahead of her. He finally stopped turning around as she stopped crossing her arms.

"What?"

"Alright Big Red. I'm gettin' real sick of you treatin' me like I'm the bad guy here. You know damn well I'm not! Neither is your brother. Now get your shell back over to my place and apologize."

"Like hell I will! He's the one that left! He's the one with his rules and orders that he all the sudden is gonna follow! After all that time? He cares about what Splinter has to say? Bullshit! You saw what that Winters fuck did to me! Yet he still wants to sit around like nothin' happens? He wants to be a pussy that his fault, not mine!" Raphael said pacing the roof top ahead of Frankie. "Just…" Raphael sighed walking over to Frankie. "I need some time alone." She opened her mouth to dispute as he jumped from the roof top to another. She watched him disappear into the night shaking her head.

"Be safe…" She whispered as she turned to walk back to her apartment.


	21. Chapter 21

Emma sat on the half pipes in the lair while Michelangelo skated back and forth. She smiled as she watched him in his skills knowing he was showing off for her. She didn't mind, it was endearing to her.

Jordon, Samantha, and April helped Donatallo look through books for information on the legend April had mentioned early that could be a possible link with the Winters guy.

"When you worked for Winters, what happened?" April asked looking up from a book at Samantha.

"What is she talking about?" Jordon asked in suspicion towards her sister. April pressed her lips together in a thin line remembering Samantha's sisters knew nothing of her past work. Samantha looked over at her and towards Donatello who winced to the question.

"I worked for him, with my firm. Something about collectors insurances on a piece of art." Samantha shrugged. Jordon eyed her sister not believing her.

"Collectors insurance?...What's what?" Jordon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Insurance. Now drop it." Sam said flipping a page.

"But…"

"Jordon Iris. I said drop it." Samantha warned looking up from the book. Jordon narrowed her eyes sitting back in her chair with a huff as she flipped her page harshly. April reached over Sam's shoulder for a book as she caught her eye.

"Sorry…" She whispered as Sam sighed nodding her head. Donatello got up going over to his computers and typed in a search for the causable scenarios to happen during this monster invasion. His eyes widened as Jordon made her way over to him clasping her hand to her mouth to muffle a gasp.

"What?" Sam asked sitting up quickly from the table as Leonardo looked over at her from gathering more books from the library.

"It says that if this is to be true we could lose the city within hours, the country within days and the world within the week…" Jordon let out in a sigh.

Emma looked over in shock as Mikey held himself up with one arm on the lip of the half pike looking over at his brothers and Jordon.

"Oh, so it's like Haley's comet…Only…Monsters come out."

"Yes…I guess so…" Donatello said in amazement that his brother held any kind of knowledge that could be of importance.

"Ha, I'm smart…" Mikey said as he skated over to Emma, falling off the edge and onto the CD player beside the ramp. Emma jumped down in worry helping him up. "I'm ok…" Donatello rolled his eyes as Leonardo slammed his fist down on a book next to Samantha making her jump slightly.

"Why do we need Raph anyways? He's the one with angry always jeopardizing our missions." Leo asked walking away from the table. Sam furrowed her brow looking over at April and Donnie who just shrugged.

"Ok Leo, whatever you say…No body was talking about him…?" Donnie said with a raised eye ridge as he watched Leonardo walk towards the stair case.

"Leonardo." Splinter said walking over to the stairs, stopping his eldest son. "This team you are so eager to lead is incomplete. You know what you must do." Leonardo stopped as his breathing steadied with a slight angry rising within his chest. He glared towards the doorway as he started up.

"Yes Sensei…" He jogged the rest of the way as the lair's big doors closed shut behind him. Sam watched as she looked over at Master Splinter. He eyed her carefully as she smiled softly towards him bowing her head. He returned the gesture walking away.

"I'm going to follow him." She said looking over at Donnie and April. They both nodded their heads as Sam grabbed her messenger bag and headed for the door. "I'm going to stop by home and pick up a few things okay munchkin? So, don't be out too late!"

"I, I captain!" Emma saluted as Jordon watched her sister suspiciously.

"You too Jay." Jordon nodded her head slowly as she returned to look over the book in front of her. She looked back over at her sister out of the corner of her eye. Something was going on.

Sam made her way to the street as she knew Leo was already blocks away. His eagerness to find Raphael wasn't anything new to her nor was his need to have a fight. His tension in his body language stood out to her for days now as him and Raphael barely spoke. She knew it was only a matter of time before they exploded into a well needed fight. Just, the matter of it being a couple days for Leonardo and almost a year and a half for Raphael made her stomach turn with worry.

Raphael's persona was different, more so since Leo had been back. He slipped up with Casey, which never happened. His need to go out as the Nightwatcher made Frankie excited but Sam knew it wasn't right. She knew he was doing it for good, but something inside of him did it out of spite for Leonardo. He leaving his family for the time he need for training turned into him turning his back on the family to Raphael. He left, and Raphael thought out of the own blinded fury of his heart that it was for personal selfish reasons. At first, he was angry with him letting his angry turn into jealously which in turned into a stewing hate for his eldest brother.

Sam could do nothing but watch. She warned Leonardo to get it out of the way early, but Raphael needed to work with him as well actually being around him long enough to get into an argument. The first time they spoke more than a few words to one another was last night. Which, didn't turn out well.

She walked the streets as cars sped by her, the lights of the city flowing together around her as she tried to focus on her thoughts. She had no reason to be looking for Leonardo, or following him now. He and Raphael had to have it out and she knew Raphael wouldn't harm his own brother.

She heard cars beep and skid across the street, colliding with one another behind her. She frowned, turning around as she saw a blur of green and gray come flying above her, crashing through a neon Chinese restaurant sign. She covered her head, crouching to the sidewalk as she looked up noticing Leonardo climbing a fire escape in hot pursuit of the metal wearing…Nightwatcher. _Raphael dressed up as the Nightwatcher?! With Leo here! Idiot! _She hissed angrily in her head.

"Oh my God! What is that _thing_!?" One women's shrill scream came from next to Samantha making Sam's head turn quickly at her in a glare. _That_thing _is my boyfriend_. She growled in her head.

"It's the Nightwatcher…Awesome…" Her young son said from next to her as she grabbed his hand and dragged him down the street.

"It's a giant turtle!" Another man said as Leonardo leaped over the side of the building disappearing. "I have to call someone about… Hey my phone!"

"Sorry…" Sam smiled shyly as she bumped into the man next to her dropping his phone into the street. A car speeding past them crushing and destroying it under its tires.

"You better pay for…Hey!" He called after Sam as she already took off through an alleyway. She looked ahead of her as she saw Raphael and Leonardo jumping over heating ducts and leaping over spaces from alleyways. She turned down another alleyway to keep up as a building closed her off in a dead end. She growled and turned around as she got locked in a maze of alleyways.

Raphael stopped in the dead end of a Red Eye sigh. He growled in his helmet as Leonardo stood behind him.

"You're intentions on helping this city is honorable, _dear brother_. However, you have made this mistake once and now you're going to face the conciseness." Leonardo said in a low voice as Raphael looked over his shoulder through his dark lens at his brother standing before him. Rain started to slowly fall from the sky as it came down harder, making a rhythmic noise against Raphael's metal armor.

He said nothing as he turned to face Leonardo, dropping two thick chain links to the concrete. Leonardo raised an eye ridge.

"Trust me. You don't want to do this." Leonardo warned as Raphael let out a growl coming at him. Leonardo leaped backwards dodging his brother's harsh blows with the heavy chains as they slammed against the concrete beside him.

"Gee Raph, I knew you were angered with me but I mean _come on_." Leonardo quipped as he crossed his arms over his plastron in an amused tone. Raphael growled louder in his helmet as he whipped the chains towards Leonardo who leaped backwards on to the ledge of the roof. "You call _that_ an attack? Master Splinter would be disappointed!" Raphael whipped the chains at him again feeling his rage fire through him as Leonardo flipped sideway out of the way.

Raphael turned around as Leonardo stood waiting. He chuckled with no sense of humor behind it as Raphael narrowed his eyes through his lens dropping the chains, brining his hands up in a stance.

"Alright finally, some excitement!" Leonardo said following his brother as he too took a stance. Raphael came at him with a growl, following with harsh swings towards his brother. He watched Leonardo's movements in deflecting his punches knowing his brother's form of fighting, and where he had tendency's to leave himself open. He waited for the right moment as he punched his glove tight fisted hand across his brother's jaw making Leonardo stumbled back shaking out the pain it as he went back into a horse stance.

"Master Splinter has said..." Leonardo started holding up a forearm as he blocked another one of his brother's blows. "The funny thing about angry is, you let it consume you and soon enough…" Leonardo said disappearing ahead of Raphael, as he jumped over his head. Raphael stopped and narrowed his eyes in his helmet as he looked around him searching for his brother. "You lose sight of _everything_…" Leonardo finished as Raphael swung his arm around in a grunt, missing Leo as he ducked upper cutting his brother using the strength of his entire body.

Raphael's body flew through the air landing harshly on the roof as his helmet landing beside his head.

"Good night dark price."

Raphael was slow to get up, but once he did he looked behind him at his approaching brother. He felt the anger of getting defeated turn into an overflowing of hate. A year he waited for this moment and to have it come down to this, him lying on the ground as Leonardo stood victoriously above him. _Bullshit._ Raphael growled through his head as he narrowed his eyes kicking his heavy booted foot into Leonardo's plastron.

Leonardo slide over the wet concrete into a heating duct denting the metal with his shell. He stayed crouched wiping his mouth of debris from the force of Raphael knocking the wind out from his body. He spit the remains from his mouth out next to him as he stood in a glare, squaring his shoulders off to his enraged brother.

"You're so smug ya know that? You think the world revolves around you don't you? That we couldn't possible survive without the all mighty and powerful Leonardo to guide us through our problems huh? Well I got a news flash for ya, we got along just fine without you!"

"Oh and this qualifies as just fine? Dressing up like its Halloween every night? Risking the safety and identity of our family? I mean c'mon what were you thinking?!"

"Don't push it Leo! You can't leave home and expect us to fall in line again for you, like your little soldiers." Raphael growled pointing an angry finger at Leonardo.

"Hey I was training. Training to become a better leader…For you! Why do you hate me for that?"

"And who ever said I wanted to be _lead_?! I'm fine callin' my own shots, now get used it to!"

"You…Aren't…Ready! You're impatient and hot tempered and more importantly, I'm better than _you_." Leonardo finished in a low harsh tone, stopping the circles between him and his brother as they squared off to one another. Raphael threw his head up in a laugh.

"Ya know somethin' big brother, I'm gonna hafta disagree with you on that one." Raphael said taking out his sais and calling his brother to him using the edge of his pointed blade. Leonardo narrowed his eyes.

"Don't do this Raph."

"I'm done takin' orders." Leonardo shook his head as he retreated a blade from their leather hold on his shell. The two brothers stood for a moment, their anger over the past years crashing over them as the rain dropped around their throbbing bodies.

They came at one another as their grunts of anger could be heard from blocks away over the night and roof tops. Their fighting style was unconventional as they fought off each other's blades. They forgot everything they learned about honor and to withhold a brotherhood among them. Focusing on their anger raging within their bodies and out through their limbs. Their unspoken feelings of how much they really did miss one another came out through their beautiful, deadly movements, the metal from their weapons piercing through the sound of the rain.

Sam made her way back to the street as someone crashed into her. She stumbled against the side of a building narrowing her eyes as she was already aggravated from loosing sight of Leonardo and Raphael through the maze that is New York City.

She cleared her head as her eyes focused on her heavy breathing sister. Jordon pushed her glasses up to her face, fixing her shirt as she looked at Sam with a worried expression.

"Jordon? What are you…How…I told you to go home!"

"What are you doing out here?" Jordon asked ignoring her older sisters scolding.

"Nothing. Go home." Samantha warned walking away from her.

"No. I want to know…." Jordon lifted her head up as she heard a cry over the sounds of the city as the rain started to let up. Samantha's eyes flashed with worry as she jumped to a run.

"Go to the lair! Find the others!" Samantha yelled back at her sister as Jordon froze with a sinking feeling rushing through her head. The cry sounded all too familiar. _Leo…_Her mind echoed to her as she broke out of her frozen stances and ran back from where she came.

Sam ran furiously through the streets as she tried to hear him cry again, anything. Her heart ached to her his voice, even if it was in pain again. She needed to know he was ok, or near, or alive. She pressed her lips together tightly fighting with her head to not drop a single tear through her eyes.

"Leo…Hold on!" She heard someone call from above her as she saw Raphael jumped from a roof top going the opposite direction she was going. She stopped, sliding over the slick pavement of the alleyway and took off in Raphael's direction.

He ran, pushing himself to keep running even if his legs denied him. He wouldn't let his brother down. He _couldn't_ let his brother down. He felt his throat burn as he chocked back tears. Of what he had just done. What he had just put his brother through and now he was getting captured by the Foot and those statues. The same statues that knocked him out the night before. Raphael shook his head to the rant raging through it and pushed himself harder to ran to save his brother.

Raphael dropped down in front of Samantha as she noticed a large truck turning a corner in front of her. She narrowed her eyes as Raphael began to run again. She could tell he was tired. His breathing strained and course as it left his lungs. He slowed at the end of the alleyway as Sam ran over to him. He cried into the air slamming his sais down on the pavement below him.

"Raph, what happened to Leo?" She asked as Raphael didn't look up at her. His shoulders raising and falling harsh with his breathing he tried to catch. She shook him as his body trembled. She glared at him slapping him across the face, trying to break him out of whatever shock he was in. "Raphael! Where is Leonardo?! What happened!?" Sam demanded as he continued his glare on the cement under him. She lifted his head as his eyes were dizzy, unable to focus on her. She sighed in aggravation, looking behind her at the fading lights of the truck.

* * *

I just wanna say in my own opinion that Leonardo's performance in TMNT 2007 is beautiful! Who can't agree that even for a CGI animated turtle...that scene is hoootttttt...like whoa! wooo...anyways!! Just thought I'd share that. 

chapter 22 coming soon!


	22. Chapter 22

Holy crap does writers block suck!! Sorry that it took me so long, but I tried to break away from the movie and not make it so like line for line and that's harrrddd to do! Next time I'll know better than to base a fic off of the movie! So anyways here it is.

EDIT: 12/20 Mostly all new thing added and switched around. Much better than it was before!

* * *

She ran, pushing herself to keep up with the truck as it started to accelerate through the street. The time of night was late, late enough for her to run behind a truck without anyone driving behind her beeping their horn to make her known, or hitting her. She glared at the bars right out of her reach as she jumped to catch them. She grasped onto the cold metal poles gritting her teeth and pushing herself up the back of the truck to the roof. Her body flailed over the metal as the truck made fast corners, her knees and elbows rolling against the dense metal. 

The truck came to a stop and she peered over the edge as she noticed large figures taking Leonardo's unconscious body from the back. She rolled silently to the middle of the roof as she noticed Foot Ninja coming out from the building the truck stopped in front of. Winters' tower. She concentrated her focus, leaning her body against the cold metal as she tried to hear through it to see if there anyone left in the bed. Nothing. She took a small breath and looked over the side as she saw the large things holding Leo and Foot Ninja walking towards the opened gate. She slid her body slowly down the side of the truck, landing in a crouch as she peered under it watching the disappearing of feet. She rolled her body under the truck, trying to make out a way to get inside without being seen. She furrowed her brow in thought as she watched the large doors of Winters Tower open and shut off the Foot Ninja from her vision. There had to be some other way to get inside.

Jordon's lungs burned from breathing in the cold night air damp with fresh rainfall. She couldn't stop, not until she got back to the lair. Donatello would know what to do. She struggled with a manhole before peering around her through the empty streets and sliding it open. She dropped down inside, closing the heavy metal circle over its placing. She slide down the latter, no time to play careful. She fell in the grimy sewer water, jumping to her feet as the dripped with stench from it ignoring it completely.

She ran through the sewers to the lair as she noticed someone walking ahead. A shell. She sighed, as the tension in her shoulders relaxed. She ran up to them, noticing that it was Raphael. He didn't pay her any attention while her noisy feet splashed through the sewer in her passing. She stopped in front of him, catching her breath as his face was dark and filled with an expression she's never seen plastered on his face before. She furrowed her brow as he walked forward.

"Raph…" She said catching her breath. "Something happened to Leo." His head perked up as he punched a wall next to him opening the lair door. She crinkled her brow in question to his gesture and walked along side him down the stairs in silence.

Frankie was waiting at the bottom as her face changed dramatically looking upon Raphael's. She let him pass her without a word as Jordon kept following. Frankie grabbed her arm and shook her head. She dropped Jordon's arm as they both looked over their shoulder at Raphael entering the dojo.

"Something happened to Leonardo." Jordon said looking back toward Frankie and the others.

"Where's Samantha?" Donatello asked.

"She said she was going to find him." Jordon shrugged. "I don't know, Raphael seemed…Well, not Raphael."

"Something happened." Frankie said in a soft sigh as she kept her face towards the dojo entryway as if Raphael was still here. Michelangelo got up from the couch, over hearing the conversation that was going on to the side of him. He heard a crash come from the dojo and kept walking forward. He peered in the doorway as he saw barbells rolled across the floor and Raphael kneeling in front of their father as he placed a paw on his son's shoulder.

"They took him." Raphael said, as he hung his head. Michelangelo's eyes widened as he felt Emma's warm hand clasped slowly over his shoulder. He turned to look at her and then back towards the open lit room.

"Leonardo…" Splinter said looking down at something Mikey couldn't make out. Emma looked around Mikey towards the room, darting her eyes towards his saddened face. She sighed softly, pulling his shoulders back as his body went willingly with it to follow her out of the alcove.

"Something bad happened dudes…" Mikey said in a soft voice, alien to his own. Emma slipped an arm around Mikey's as she pulled her body closer to his, kissing his bicep softly as she placed her cheek against his shoulder.

Raphael walked out of the dojo as Master Splinter followed close behind him. He called his son's, Emma, Jordon, Frankie, Casey and April around the table where books were still scattered from earlier that evening.

Samantha tried to hid herself as best she could in the bushes around the court yard. Keeping her body to the shadows, she leaped rolling her body over the soft grass as she stopped on a knee behind a large hedge looking towards the big doors. She sighed to herself looking around for another way inside other than those doors. Just to walk right through the front door would be foolish. She needed to get him out without being seen.

She saw two Foot Ninja walk through the doors as they discussed something amongst themselves. She watched them carefully, slipping back into the shadow behind the hedge as they past her. She steadied her breathing so it was shallow in her throat letting the air slip soundlessly out through her lips. They left the doors open. She fought the logic from years of being trained not to do just this, as she got up from her crouching position and started to walk silently over the grass to the marble walkway. She bit her lip repeating over and over again in her head how stupid this was. She looked over her shoulder as she saw the Foot Ninja turn the corner and disapear behind the entry gate. She let out the breath and ran into the building. She silently thanked the fact that her converse sneakers made little to no noise as she ran.

She saw a shadow play across the wall and looked around her to see an escape. She noticed the stairwell and flipped over to it, landing on the first step as she crouched down to hide behind the thick marble banister. She sighed as she saw two more Foot Ninja leave the building without even a second thought to her being there. She started to back up the stairs slowly, still crouching low to hide herself. She looked behind her, down the long hallway as she noticed an open door with a small light placing across it, like the flicker of a flame.

She turned, walking towards the door as she pressed her body tight against the wall taking a quick survey of the room. She saw no one and stepped inside closing the door behind her. She was hoping maybe to find a map or something to help her as she navigated blindly throughout this building. She walked over to a desk pushing aside papers that lay across it. She sighed looking up to register the room once more, then going back to fingering over papers as she noticed a shade of green from a chair in front of the fire place. She picked her head up again, running over to the chair as Leonardo's body lie over it. He wasn't moving, his breathing was shallow, but she still kept her hand over his heart to feel the reassuring beat. She leaned down putting her forehead to his.

"I'm going to get you out of this Leo, I promise."

"Isn't this a touching moment." A familiar voice said from behind Samantha as she picked her head up. She looked over her shoulder scrambling to her feet as she placed a forearm against Karai's neck, pressing her body against the wall. Her eyes dark with anger as Karai's smile never left her face.

"What did you do to him?!" Samantha demanded pressing her arm more into Karai's delicate throat.

"This is just too good." Karai said as the smirk never left her lips. "He's here because those statues made a mistake and now, you're here following your true love? Beautiful, really. But, stupid." Karai said taking Samantha's arm and twisting it as she kicked her body away from hers.

Sam fell to the ground as a harsh pain arose in her ribs as Karia's foot made contact with them. She moved across the floor as Samantha coughed out the breath that was caught in her chest, trying desperately to remove it. Karai smiled, kicking her across the face.

"You're a foolish girl. You should have known to stay out of something that was not your business!"

"Leo _is_ my business." Samantha growled in fierce words, through a blood lip as she looked up into the face that has brought her so much distress in the years she has known Leonardo and his brothers.

Foot Ninja filed into the room as they took a stance behind Karai. Sam slowly got to her knees, keeping her eyes locked on Karai as she braced her bicep against her rips, making sure they weren't cracked.

"Take her away, we'll find out what to do with her after." Karai said as the Foot pulled Samantha's body from the floor. She looked over her shoulder at Leonardo hands grasped around her biceps, pulling her to her feet, a tear rolling slowly down her cheek.

"So…what do we do now?" Mikey said as the rest all stood around the table. Emma stepped closer to him, wrapping her arm around his and squeezing it tightly.

"We go and save our brother and Samantha and then save New York City." Raphael said crossing his arms tight to his plastron as he looked around the table. Frankie nodded her head in full agreement.

"Well, we need a way to get to Winters' towers." April said looking over at Donatello.

"The van!" Mikey said holding up his hand.

"Alright, let's go." Raphael said heading towards the door. Casey and Frankie following close behind.

Mikey and Don looked at Emma and Jordon as Emma still clung to Mikey's arm. Jordon gave a small smile as she placed a hand to Donnie's cheek.

"I don't want you to get hurt." Emma said burying her face into Michelangelo's shoulder. He smiled and kissed her on the top of her head.

"Don't worry babe, I've done far worse. It'll be a piece of cake, especially when we get Leo back."

"Be safe." Jordon said softly as Donnie smiled back taking her hand in his. He kissed the top of it softly as her smile widened. She pulled him into her as he stumbled forward to her catching her lips on his. He relaxed his face from a shocked expression, stepping his body closer to hers as she tilted her head slightly, moving into their kiss with slightly more passion than she thought she was going to allow herself.

She didn't want him to go and leave her in the case that something might happen to him. The utter thought of her losing someone like Donnie in her life made her stomach twist and turn. He pulled away slowly looking in her eyes. Those eyes filled with such intelligence and beautiful knowledge. She couldn't possible, after this short time love him. Care for him, yes. She smiled as he took her hands and slowly rubbing his thumb over the top of her knuckles. Still, there was something about him that made her want to stick around and find out when that day of their love would come.

"I will." He said meeting her eyes once more.

"You two are coming with us. We need all the help we can get." Frankie said as she started for the stairs. Emma smiled and jumped to a run to catch up with Mikey as Jordon was hesitant. Donnie turned around and grasped her hand.

"I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." He said in trying to convince her to trust him. She trusted him with her life. Not only were his eyes screaming with truth as they looked at hers but his touch. With the slightest bit of clenching he added to saying he promised her made her heart flutter. She knew she could trust him, all of them and did. She smiled nodding her head as he returned it following the others up the stairs.

They all left as they got into the van, Frankie driving as Splinter sat in the passenger seat. Raphael clung onto the back of Frankie's seat watching the street before him. His face was focused and looking straight ahead as Frankie looked over at him. She sighed to herself returning her focus on the road.

"You're brother is going to be alright Raphael." Splinter said placing a hand on Raphael's shoulder breaking him out of his intense stare on the street. He nodded his head slowly as Frankie smiled.

She turned a corner as she stopped the van in front of the gates at the Winters' Tower. She looked behind her at Raphael and the others as Michelangelo handed Casey his Cowabunga Carl head with a smile.

"Here dude, it's your problem now." He said as Casey took it.

"Thanks Mikey." He said dryly as he jumped out of the back, handing April his golf bag. She took it with a smile as he put the head on and walked towards the front gate.

The others made their way over to the wall as Raphael held out his hands for Frankie. She put her foot, as he gave her a lift pulling herself up on to the ledge. She kept low as she nodded her head. He leaped up next to her, waiting for his brothers.

"Alright babe, I'm gonna give you a lift. Do you think…"

"Yeah, yeah Mikey. I'm not totally incapable." She said holding onto his shoulder as he lifted her up. She got up without a problem as Frankie smiled over to her.

"You're more like Sammy than you think." She whispered as Emma smiled. Jordon was next as Donnie helped her up, Frankie leaned over the side to give her an extra hand.

They jumped over the side as they moved quietly through the courtyard.

"There's Foot everywhere." Mikey whispered as Raph looked out from behind a bush. He nodded his head as Frankie smiled next to him.

"Are you girls ready?" She asked looking towards Emma and Jordon. Emma smiled with a nod as Jordon shook her head. "Stay close."

Splinter, Raphael, Frankie, April, Michelangelo and Donatello ran in from their hidden place behind the bushes towards the line of Foot Ninja. They scattered towards the group as the fighting took place.

The court yard was filled with Foot as they all attacked at once. Casey ran in from his distraction stopping a katana blade from catching April's arm with a hockey stick. She turned around with a smile as he smiled under his hockey mask. He twisted his body, swinging the hockey stick around as he beat off Foot around him.

Emma dragged Jordon along in the bushes as they kept themselves hidden, following the fight. Mikey waved them over towards the group as Emma started in, Jordon grabbing her arm.

"Come here in the middle, we'll fight them off before they get to you!" Frankie called out as she lifted her foot in a kick as it came in contact with her attacker.

Emma smiled behind her at Jordon who was no longer by her side. She looked frantically in front of her towards the group as Mikey caught eyes with her. He looked around for Jordon and over his shoulder at Donnie who was fighting off Foot with Raphael. Emma turned again to check around the bush they were hiding behind as her arms were pulled back and a hand was put over her mouth. She was dragged backwards through a hedge were she saw glimpses of the fight still occurring.

"The front doors open guys, now!" April yelled towards the group as Frankie and Raphael still fought off Ninjas. He reached into his belt as a billow of smoke exploded before them.

The seven started for the doors as Frankie looked over her shoulder at the Foot who broke through the smoke pellet. She looked around her as the girls weren't there. She felt her heart drop as they were closing in on the door. Two Foot kept guard at the front doors as Raphael jumped up into a kick, as their bodies fell back against the stone building. They made their way into the building as they turned to see the Foot approching fast. Frankie's heart rate couldn't steady as the sinking worry filled her. Donnie looked around and noticed Jordon wasn't there with him, neither was Emma.

"Where are they?" He asked Frankie as she felt a stab in her chest.

"They must have gotten captured." Frankie said already regretting having those words leave her mouth. She saw Mikey twist his body towards her quickly as he looked back towards the Foot. They were feet away now as Casey looked towards a piece of art on a marble base next to him. He smirked in his hockey mask.

"You break it you buy it." Casey said as he took a field hockey stick out from his bag, swinging it a little harder than he needed to as it smashed against the marble floor. An alarm went off as the doors slammed shut around them, closing off the foot.

"You are the sisters that belong to Samantha?" Karai asked in an amused tone as Jordon and Emma were held up by Foot Ninja. Their mouths taped over, and narrowed eyes looking upon the small Japanese woman before them. "I am sure you are aware of your sister and my past?" She asked stopping and taking account of the change of their expression. She smirked slightly to the satisfying sadness behind them. "Well, your beloved sister and I have had some...Business with one another for sometime now, and tonight is our final meeting. Let's just hope anyways." She smiled as the girls faces changed from sad to confused. "Take them, it's time."

The heavy metal released as the doors opened, flooding with Foot Ninja in the main room as a vortex of color circled the center. Winters and the four Statues stood off to one another as the brothers, April, Casey and Frankie watched their feuding.

"Brothers…I…" Winters started. 

"We are no brothers to you!"

"With one monster still free the curse will never be broken. We shall finish what we began all those years ago."

"And we will finally have our victory!"

Frankie narrowed her eyes the to statues as she saw something out of the corner of her eye coming behind the Statues. She looked towards Raphael who had a focused look towards the argument. She fixed her eyes to look past him at Leo who also noticed the slight shadows playing across the wall.

Karai walked over to her Foot Ninja behind Winters as Samantha was being dragged by two Ninjas behind her. Winters watched the girl struggle to get free as Sam's eyes landed on Leonardo. He was okay. She felt her heart give a little as a smile went on her face under the hand that was clasped over her mouth. She struggled harder to break away.

"What is the meaning of this? Who is this girl?" Winters demands over his shoulder at Karai.

"She is something that got in the way." She said back as Sam narrowed her eyes in a growl trying to shake the arms off her.

"Join us, join us Foot clan and no pain will come to you." A Statue said as Winters narrowed his eyes back towards them. Karai lifted her hand as the Foot shifted to move towards them.

"The Foot Ninja are not without honor, we work for Winters not you." She said as she gave the Foot behind her a hand signal. Some Foot left as April watched them leave, looking back towards Karai confused.

"Okay, so what does that mean?"

"It means we are going to help you find the 13th monster." April gave her an sideways glance as Sam caught her eyes. She nodded her head slowly as April returned the gesture turning and leaving to follow the other Foot. Casey watched her leave, as he realized what had happened, ran to catch up.

"I call shot gun!"

"Now it is the matter of you." Karai said looking at Sam who was thrown to the floor by the Foot. Leonardo shifted slightly as she held up a hand. Karai smiled as she lifted her hand, Sam looked up at her trying to see what motion she did but didn't catch it. She got to her feet slowly as her breath caught in her chest again, tight as she stood. Her rips might just have been cracked from the kick. She winced slightly, straightening herself out.

"Sammy..." She heard a small voice say from behind her. Sam turned her head seeing her two sisters tight in the grasp of Foot Ninja.

Donatello narrowed his eyes as Michelangelo shifted this time. Leonardo put an arm out to stop his little brother as Mikey let out a small sigh. He gripped his weapon in his hand tighter as Donatello did the same, holding it in front of him ready to swing at any one moment.

"Tell them Samantha." Karai said with a grin. Sam sighed.

"Tell us what?" She heard Jordon say from behind her with a slightly irritated tone.

"This has nothing to do with them. Leave them out of it." Sam said in steady words.

"Being the sisters of a well trained, assassin they should have known better to keep themselves out in the open during a fight, should they not?" Karai said as a small smile played at the corner of her lips. Sam growled in her throat as she heard Emma gasp. Jordon's eyes went wind to the word.

"That can't...there's no...you're only, I mean, you're young!" Jordon said not believing what she was hearing.

"I was trained at eighteen." Sam said softly. She put her head down in a sigh and turned towards her sisters. Emma's face was still in shock as Jordon shook her head.

"That long? What if you died?! What if something happened to you!?" Jordon said trying to shake her arms free from the Foot holding her back. Sam sighed again. She wanted to try and make things right, tell them nothing would happen to her but she wasn't sure. She was never sure, the only time she is, is when Leonardo is by her side. She turned her head to look over her shoulder at him as he clenched tightly to his katanas. He'd protect her no matter what.

"Nothing will happen to me Jay." She said slowly as she turned her head back towards her sisters. Emma let out a breath as Jordon shook her head in disbelief.

"You're always so sure of yourself Samantha." Karai's voice said, low and filled with anger that her plan was not working.

"I need to be in order to keep myself alive." She said over her shoulder as she slowly turned her body to face Karai. She looked over towards Leonardo as she nodded her head once, just enough for him to notice as he understood their unspoken conversation and nodded his head turning towards his brothers.

Karai smiled as she squared off with Samantha sliding her katana from her strap. "Now we can finish what we too started years ago."

The brothers stepped in front of Winters as the statues stood before them.

"Hate to rain on your parade, but we thought we'd even the odds." Raphael said as he took a stance in line with his brothers.

"We're going to enjoy this." The statue before him said as he swiped his large blade in front of Raphael.

Karai smirked as she slowly circled Samantha. She had no weapons. She had nothing at her disposal. Sam smirked as Karai came at her. She jumped out of the way, deflecting Karai's blade as it cut along her jeans. She looked at her sliced pants and up at Karai's smirking face. She narrowed her eyes lifting her leg up in a kick as Karai went back against a marble pillar.

Karai shook away the dizziness and charged to Sam again as she braced herself for the swing of the blade. She grabbed it in her hand, twisting it as she felt her flesh cut. She winced slightly as the blade cut along her skin, which was without nerve damage. She jumped up kicking Karai back as her blade slipped out of her grasp and Sam threw it aside. She held her hand against her stomach as blood dripped on the floor.

"It seems we're back where we started." Sam smiled through pain words. Karai narrowed her eyes coming at her again as her punches were faster than before. Sam leaned back, defecting them with her forearms and legs as she twisted her body out of the way.

"Boys we must end this now!" Splinter yells as the boys push the large statues towards the swirling vortex. 

They all jump in the air sending their final swings down on the statues as their bodies fall back into the vortex. A blast from the entering matter sends the turtles' bodies back like an explosion.

The Foot holding Jordon and Emma get thrown back as well as Emma and Jordon's bodies slide against the marble floor. Emma shakes away the dizziness as she finds Jordon's body close to hers. She looked around trying to see the Foot anywhere near them and pulls her slow to get up sister with her behind a marble pillar.

"What...what are you..." Jordon asked through pained soft words as her head was bleeding from getting slammed against the marble floor. Emma smiles and runs a hand through her sister's hair.

"Sh...just sit still." Emma says in a soft coo as her sister's eyes lids are too heavy for her to keep open any longer.

Karai and Sam's bodies get thrown back as they slide across the marble floor. Samantha got to her feet slowly as she noticed Karai still turning over in pain from the harsh landing she put her body in on the marble floor. Sam started to steady her breathing as she felt her body rush hot with anger and ran over to Karai throwing her body on hers. Karai struggled, as her arm shook from her weakening strength to keep her hands tightly grasped around Sam's wrists as they moved furiously in front of her face.

Finally, Karai was able to get the momentum she needed to push her shoulders off the marble floor, rolling so Sam was below her. She pinned her legs as Sam pushed Karai back with all her strength. Gritting her teeth and letting out a scream from pure will to push this woman off her.

"You have ruined everything I have tried to rebuild after my father died! I was so close to getting to him and then you came along and ruined everything!" Karai screamed as she slammed Sam's body against the marble harder. She winced to the pain shooting through the back of her skull, still trying to keep Karai's hands up and away from her face.

Sam picked her head up as she felt a vibration coming off of the floor. She looked around as she heard a car horn beeping. She saw Mikey's van crashing through the doors as her eyes went wind. Karai looked over her shoulder as she leaped her body of Sam's leaving her in the path of the van. She rolled out of the way just in time as a monster came running through the doors.

The van crashed on its side as the monster entered the vortex. The tower started too rumbled as Sam covered her head, curling her body on the floor as marble and brick falling around her.

Another blast sent the turtles back through the air as everything seemed to go still and slow down. Dust and rubble fell from the ceiling as the brother's cheered their victory.

Casey hit open the turned over van's passenger side door as he pulled himself out. Frankie pushed her way up as Casey fell out of the door to the rubble around the van. April pulled herself out as Frankie helped her, sitting on the side of the van. April smiled as she made her way up about to jump down as a Foot pushed both of them over the edge, falling on the ground. April fell on Frankie as Casey looked over at her, pulling her into him with a kiss. Frankie rubbed her head.

"Typical, we do all the work and he gets all the thanks." Raphael says as he watched April and Casey kiss shaking his head. Frankie smiled and getting to her feet.

"Well…not all the thanks." She says as she wraps her arms around his shoulders pressing her lips tightly to his. He puts his arms around her waist, picking her up from the floor.

Donatello and Michelangelo turn to look through the rubble covered marble floors for Emma and Jordon. Emma peers her head out behind a pillar as Mikey smiles jumping into a run over to her. Donnie follows as Emma smiles at both of them. Mikey helps Emma to her feet as she stumbles a bit from a piece of stone falling on her leg. Donnie carefully gets Jordon to regain a little bit of awareness as he slides her into his arms, holding her close to his body.

"Where's Sam?" Emma asked as she limps over to the others, her arm around Mikey's shoulder as he holds her up.

Leonardo looks around the room for a moment, before turning around and seeing her body surrounded by rubble. He runs over, as his feet slide to a stop against the marble. He drops to his knees putting a hand to her shoulder softly as she groans moving onto her back. He smiles, wiping the dust from her face as she looks up at him with a smile.

She sits up right suddenly as she looks around the room searching for Karai. Leonardo helps her to her feet as she falls a little against him as she starts to move. Her ankle must have been twisted. She growls aggravated.

"I lost her again." She says as Leo furrows his brow in confusion. "Karai, she…"

"Don't worry about that now. She'll be back and you'll have another chance. All that matters is that everyone is safe." She looks at him from her dead glare at where she last saw Karai lie, as her expression softens. She leans in and kisses his lips as she gets a refreshing memory of her night, and the feeling of losing him again. She presses her body closer to his as he wraps his arms around her waist.

"I thought I lost you." She says softly as she presses her forehead against his cheek. He smiles slightly closing his eyes.

"You'll never lose me." He whispers softly against her neck.

She holds onto him tighter at his words. Considering if that is true, or just the pure rush of love filling her senses to make herself believe him at that moment. He had this way to make her fall for him over and over again, and she was with no intent to stop.


	23. Chapter 23

Four brothers stand on a roof top above the bustling New York City streets. The wild wind flowing through their bandannas as they maneuver through the maze like structures. Leaping over obstacles in their way, jumping gaps of many feet at a time, catching their fallen brother for support. A hand lift, a toss, or just slight glance as they run side by side. They take the streets by night, keeping to the darkened shadows. They're graceful beauty can not be seen to those who aren't prepared or ready for the ways of the night. Coming at you as one, four moving and being as one. No one can ever take that away from them.

I look over at Frankie as she smiles back at me with her red hair tussling through the wind. She looks back ahead at the disappearing shadows of safety and heroism over the night covered roof tops.

In our line of work there was no time for mistakes or distractions. We got in and out without being seen, heard, felt, or acknowledge. We killed many bad men, took lives that maybe didn't need to be taken. Made our money, and filled our needs, our young wanting thirst for adventure and fight. Now, we stand above this city. The bright skyline mocking us with its beauty in the distance as we know that even though our lives have changed drastically, even through our distractions are plentiful and covered with love, lust and challenge, neither of us care. We live for the moment, we live for the fight, and we live for the next day to come so we can live it again.

People may think us to be weird or even crazy. I think us to be nothing more than what we are. Women who enjoy a fight, and crave to have a run in with one of those good old fashion bad guys and send them running through the night. A smirk comes over our lips from the empowerment of being a women who can stand up for her own. A woman that can kill you without you even feeling it. A woman that knows how to love another being in this world more than they have love for themselves. A woman that has tasted life and love at its most powerful and laughed in the face of pain and hurt. Never again would we feel the strong sting of pain crawl into the small corners of our hearts making it's way to the core like a disease that rots you from within. Never again, because we have them. Their raw emotional need for us just as we need for them. Human, man, woman, turtle doesn't matter. Just as long as it's love and its there, that is what's keeping us going and that is what will keep us going till the day we die.

And we'll keep going until that last blow strikes us down. Until that one fight makes us weak with death. We'll fight till the end. We'll love them till the end. And no one, not the Foot, not Karai, not even whatever Gods there are out there are going to stop us. Try and stop us. I dare you.

THE END.

* * *

Sequel already in progress! 


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